A FORMER Malvern town councillor has admitted charges of stalking and blackmail.
Standing in the dock Sharon Taylor admitted a charge of stalking without fear, alarm, distress, and a second charge of blackmail when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday, (August 11).
Both offences took place between March 9 and April 20 this year.
The charge on the indictment for stalking reads that she pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of David Taylor "and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of him in that".
It says Taylor "made multiple attempts to contact and send abusive and unnecessary messages, have attended his place of work, home address and also a friend's house to identify the location of David Taylor."
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The blackmail charge reads that Taylor blackmailed Mr Taylor "with a view to gain for yourself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, made an unwarranted demand of retiring from his place of work early - with menaces."
The 61-year-old, of Meadow Road, Malvern, was an independent councillor for Malvern Town Council until earlier this year.
She was one of the candidates to be deputy mayor of Malvern this year but stood down before the selection process.
As a town councillor she led the campaign to oppose 40 holiday lodges being built on Langdale Wood.
During the short hearing Remus Mihailescu, prosecuting, said the blackmail charge had to be sent to crown court for sentencing, as it was an indicatable only offence.
Asking Taylor to stand Susan Kitchener, chairman of the magistrates bench, said: "You have plead guilty to both matters.
"As one is indicatable only it must go to the Crown Court - and the other case is linked so will go with it."
The hearing had been scheduled to be heard in the morning but was put back to the afternoon after Richard Hull, defending, explained to magistrates his client was distressed outside the courtroom.
Taylor, who hugged supporters outside the court after the 10 minute hearing, was told to attend Worcester Crown Court on September 9.
Magistrates warned Taylor failure to attend could see her commit an offence that could be punished with a custodial sentence.
A pre-sentence report, asked by the prosecution, was ordered to be completed by the magistrates.
Taylor was granted unconditional bail.
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