A jilted mother tried to smear her ex-boyfriend as a ‘wife beater’ in front of his karate class in a bid to ruin him after they broke up, a court has heard. 

Jessica Hefferon, 31, turned up out of the blue at an after-school club when ‘Sensei’ Ryan Derbyshire was giving martial arts tips to a youngster and accused him of strangling her during an argument. 

A parent witnessed the ‘aggressive’ and ‘abusive’ verbal onslaught in which NHS healthcare assistant Hefferon wrongfully labelled Mr Derbyshire, 32, a ‘wife beater’. 

She continued to harass him and even contacted his boss at the karate club to spread vicious lies in a bid for him to lose his job by saying he was being investigated by social services and shouldn’t be teaching children. 

Mr Derbyshire, who successfully completed full safety checks with the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) to enable him to teach youngsters, ended up being quizzed by police in a voluntary interview.

Jessica Hefferon, 31, (right) turned up out of the blue at an after-school club when 'Sensei' Ryan Derbyshire (left) was giving martial arts tips to a youngster and accused him of strangling her during an argument

Jessica Hefferon, 31, (right) turned up out of the blue at an after-school club when ‘Sensei’ Ryan Derbyshire (left) was giving martial arts tips to a youngster and accused him of strangling her during an argument

The mother launched her spiteful campaign following the break down of their relationship in which they had one child together

The mother launched her spiteful campaign following the break down of their relationship in which they had one child together

Officers subsequently took no action against him and instead quizzed Hefferon, of Widnes, Cheshire, over the spiteful smears. 

The mother launched her spiteful campaign following the break down of their relationship in which they had one child together. 

She was hauled in front of magistrates and convicted of harassing Mr Derbyshire after a trial. She was slapped with a restraining order which banned her from contacting Mr Derbyshire for two years. 

Warrington Magistrates’ Court heard Hefferon twice turned up at his work and on one occasion followed and shouted him in the staff canteen where she threatened to stop him from seeing his son. 

Nicola Parr, prosecuting, said: ‘She pursued him into the work’s canteen, which was witnessed by two other employees. 

‘She started shouting at him in the canteen, that the victim was not speaking to her and that she would stop him from seeing his son. The victim was left stressed and agitated after that.’

On another occasion Mr Derbyshire threatened to phone the police if she didn’t leave him alone at work, but she returned later with their child and told him he had ten minutes with the boy.  

In a statement Mr Derbyshire said: ‘I feel intimidated by what happened and it makes me feel that I am somehow in the wrong.

‘This has caused a lot of stress to my family who have supported me through this. It also causes a lot of stress to my mum and it has had an impact on her. ‘

According to his online biography Mr Derbyshire, who practises Shukokai Karate, is currently graded at 3rd Dan having achieved his 1st Dan Black Belt in 2007

According to his online biography Mr Derbyshire, who practises Shukokai Karate, is currently graded at 3rd Dan having achieved his 1st Dan Black Belt in 2007

Hefferon was hauled in front of magistrates and convicted of harassing Mr Derbyshire after a trial

Hefferon was hauled in front of magistrates and convicted of harassing Mr Derbyshire after a trial

On another occasion Mr Derbyshire threatened to phone the police if she didn't leave him alone at work, but she returned later with their child and told him he had ten minutes with the boy

On another occasion Mr Derbyshire threatened to phone the police if she didn’t leave him alone at work, but she returned later with their child and told him he had ten minutes with the boy

At the time of making the statement, Mr Derbyshire said that he continued to pay the full mortgage on their property, and for Hefferon’s car along with child maintenance.

He said his son was his biggest concern and added. ‘He is my world and I would give him everything but I have suffered psychologically.

‘I became uncomfortable and paranoid about going out in case he saw Jessica and she made more false allegations against me. I have stopped having a social life and I am paranoid that there will be further accusations.

‘I saw her by accident and it makes me feel that she is following me. I am trying to keep myself to myself. Thankfully it has not affected my work as they have been very supportive.’

Her counsel Will Griffin said: ‘There was little planning and the offence was limited in scope and duration and was spontaneous in my submission. There were four events over five months.

‘She is a mother and a full-time carer for her two-year-old son. The child goes to nursery three days a week and on the other two days she looks after him. 

‘She works as a health care assistant at Whiston Hospital during the three days the child is at the nursery and she is studying for an NVQ level 3.

‘This is her first conviction, a stain on her character which is a huge punishment in itself, something that she is very upset about.’

Magistrates banned Hefferon from contacting Mr Derbyshire for two years under the terms of a restraining order after she was convicted of harassment following a trial. She had denied wrongdoing. 

Hefferon has been slapped with a restraining order which banned her from contacting Mr Derbyshire for two years

Hefferon has been slapped with a restraining order which banned her from contacting Mr Derbyshire for two years

Hefferon was also fined £180 and ordered to pay £314 in costs and a victims surcharge

Hefferon was also fined £180 and ordered to pay £314 in costs and a victims surcharge

Her counsel said it had put a stain on the NHS healthcare assistant's character 'which is a huge punishment in itself, something that she is very upset about'

Her counsel said it had put a stain on the NHS healthcare assistant’s character ‘which is a huge punishment in itself, something that she is very upset about’

She continued to harass him and even contacted his boss at the karate club to spread vicious lies in a bid for him to lose his job

She continued to harass him and even contacted his boss at the karate club to spread vicious lies in a bid for him to lose his job

Hefferon was also fined £180 and ordered to pay £314 in costs and a victims surcharge. She was also ordered to complete a 12-month community order, a six-month mental health treatment requirement and 25 days of rehabilitation activity.

Hefferon had no previous convictions. 

According to his online biography Mr Derbyshire, who practises Shukokai Karate, is currently graded at 3rd Dan having achieved his 1st Dan Black Belt in 2007, 2nd Dan in 2009, and 3rd Dan in 2012.

He has represented his karate club and associations in National and International Competitions and represented the UK in 2010 at the World Championships Sao Paulo, Brazil were he became the under 21 World Champion aged 18.

Post source: Daily mail

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