A married company director who stuck his head through his ex-lover’s cat flap in a stalking campaign after she broke off their five-month affair has been handed a restraining order and is banned from contacting her.
Johnathan Christmas, 35, had a five-month affair with work colleague Charlotte Crute after they met at a summer party.
The relationship ended when Christmas’ wife Helen found out, and Ms Crute decided she wasn’t interested.
Although Ms Crute made it clear she did not want to pursue the relationship further and blocked him on social media, Christmas then stalked and harassed her for four months.
The father-of-two even turned up at her home in Poole, Dorset and terrified her by sticking his head through the catflap while she was on the phone before banging on the door for 30 minutes, leaving her fearing for her life.
He also visited her at her workplace and sent her unwanted flowers, cards and messages saying ‘I still love you’.
Ms Crute was left feeling unsafe both at home and work and started carrying a personal alarm for ‘peace of mind’.
Christmas even contacted her boss, told him about the affair and said Ms Crute’s conduct should be investigated.
Johnathan Christmas (pictured outside Poole Magistrates’ Court), 35, had a five-month affair with work colleague Charlotte Crute after they met at a summer party
Although Ms Crute (pictured) made it clear she did not want to pursue the relationship further and blocked him on social media, Christmas then stalked and harassed her for four months
She was later called to a meeting with her boss and HR manager after complaints about her conduct were made through the company website, but Christmas denied this was him.
Ms Crute eventually called the police and Christmas admitted stalking her and was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard the affair started in August 2023.
The pair both worked for technology company Image Holders and met at a summer party, becoming intimate four or five weeks later.
His wife Helen Christmas, an NHS dietician, found out in December.
Jason Spelman, prosecuting, said: ‘There was then some sort of stand off. There was a suggestion he had to make a choice between the victim and his wife.
‘The victim decided she was not interested and sent a message on December 18 to break off the relationship.’
Christmas was made redundant from the company in January 2024.
Ms Crute received birthday cards from both the defendant and his wife and decided she had ‘had enough’.
In February she sent him an email making it clear she wanted nothing more to do with him and blocked him on social media.
The court heard the stalking started with him turning up at her work unannounced at 7.30am on March 7, before anyone else was there.
He said he was returning some work property and aftershave she had given him but seeing her ‘reignited feelings’.
Company director Christmas was made redundant from Ms Crute’s company in January 2024
The relationship ended when Christmas’ wife Helen (right, with Christmas) found out, and Ms Crute decided she wasn’t interested
Ms Crute (pictured) was regularly pestered by Christmas as he began sending her messages and social media requests and turning up at her work and her house
Christmas then emailed her asking when she would be home so they could ‘talk things through’.
She said that scared her and she stayed at the gym late that evening to avoid going home.
He contacted her again, then showed up at her home in Poole on April 12 and banged on the door for 30 minutes, stuck his head through the cat flap then ‘loitered around the property trying to disguise his identity’.
She texted him warning him she would call the police then found a bunch of flowers and a note saying ‘I still love you’.
In a victim statement, Ms Crute said: ‘Initially I thought it was pestering and annoying but when he showed up at work I wasn’t expecting it, it was unnerving.
‘Soon after he emailed me asking when I would be home. I was scared, I stayed at the gym longer than I would have on that evening.’
She said by April she started to feel he would never leave her alone and let her get on with her life, which left her ‘on edge’.
Describing the banging and cat flap incident, she said: ‘I was completely terrified, I was on the phone to my sister and worried he could get in if he found the spare key.
‘I genuinely feared for my life. The impact was massive, I didn’t feel safe at home or work. I regret everything I did with him.’
Christmas (pictured) met Ms Crute when he got a contract to work with her company – and even reported the affair to her boss when she told him she wasn’t interested
Selina Goddard, defending, said Christmas made a ‘silly mistake’ but has moved on and wishes Ms Crute the best.
She said: ‘He regrets the whole deal. The affair brought a great deal of pain and shame to his family.
‘He got immersed in something that he doesn’t see his way out of. At the time he didn’t see it as stalking, he was just making overtures to her.
‘He said: “I thought I was doing the right thing in trying to be persistent and show my emotions for her”.
‘He accepted the relationship was over in January, but seeing her again did reignite feelings and he wanted some closure. That was selfish and he should have listened to her.’
She said previous coverage of the court case had ’caused difficulties’ for his wife.
She said: ‘The work to get the marriage back on track has been undone. They’re trying to work things out but it’s placed a terrific amount of pressure on them and he doesn’t know if they will be able to get past it.
‘He has expressed genuine remorse, he has been doing counselling, with his wife and a lot of work on himself. He has brought this on himself, he accepts that.
‘Even his wife’s friends offered to give character references. No one condones what he did but they say for the ten or so years they have known him, this behaviour was out of character.’
Christmas, from Bournemouth, who now runs his own business, Ascend Marketing, was handed an 18-month community order with 30 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.
The magistrates also made an 18-month restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Crute and from going to her street or work.
He was ordered to pay £620 prosecution costs and £114 victim surcharge.
