Court bans chicken farmer, 78, from being alone with women

A CHICKEN farmer has been banned by a judge from being left alone with women on his farm.

Cecil Harding was yesterday handed a ten-year restraining order under the Protection from Harassment Act after he appeared in court accused of groping the breasts of two women at Stonebridge Farm, in Wolvershill Road, Banwell, near Weston-super-Mare.

The 78-year-old was to face trial on three charges of sexual assault but one of the complainants was unable to attend Bristol Crown Court to give evidence. He denied all the charges.

James Ward, prosecuting, said Mr Harding was accused of sexually assaulting a 32-year-old woman once and a 26-year-old twice in 2009 and 2010.

Mr Ward said the first complainant was happy for a restraining order, which does not apply to relatives or female customers buying eggs from the farm, to be imposed.

He said the second complainant was concerned Mr Harding might be seen to be "getting away with it", but was happy with a restraining order if the judge believed it met the justice of the case.

Mr Ward offered no evidence in the case of the first woman and Judge David Ticehurst directed a not guilty verdict. The judge allowed the two charges relating to the second woman to be left on court files but not pursued.

He went on to impose a restraining order which states: "The defendant is prohibited from having unaccompanied females on his property, save for family members and those collecting eggs from the roadside sale point."

The judge told Mr Harding: "At your age you should know better."

Mr Harding replied: "I haven't done anything."

The judge continued: "You must behave properly and keep away from unaccompanied females. That means no women on your own. A breach will mean you will be back before me and I will send you to prison.

"Make sure you behave yourself in future."

The judge awarded Mr Harding a defendant's cost order to refund his £10,000 legal aid bill but ordered him to pay £1,500 prosecution costs.

Virginia Cornwall, defending, said: "We were prepared to have a trial today. This is a matter which has been pondered over numerous occasions."

Miss Cornwall said she believed her client would have been acquitted of all counts had the case gone to trial and he walked from court with the order, but with his character intact.

Mr Harding, who was accompanied by his nephew, declined to comment as he left court.

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