A PHOTOGRAPHER who gained notoriety for his inept coverage of weddings yesterday admitted a public order offence after threatening a former client whose wife he ran off with.
Clayton Bennett grabbed his wife's ex-husband Mark Fry in the town centre of Peterlee, County Durham, and repeatedly shouted "hit me" at him, a court was told yesterday.
The 50-year-old, who made national headlines for spoiling a string of newlyweds' big day with his appalling pictures, pleaded guilty at Peterlee Magistrates' Court to using threatening words or behaviour towards Mr Fry.
Jacqueline Gibson, prosecuting, said Rose-Ellen Forster had been married in April 2008 to Mr Fry. Bennett reportedly filmed their marriage.
After just nine months she left her husband to start a relationship with Bennett. Miss Gibson said: "Since that break-up Mr Fry had reported a number of problems he had experienced with the defendant, all of which has been reported to police and which led to Bennett being warned under the Harassment Act about his conduct, in 2009."
She said Mr Fry and his partner, Amanda Carr, were out shopping, along with Ms Carr's four-year-old daughter, on December 5 last year, when they came upon Bennett and Ms Forster.
Miss Gibson said: "The defendant shouted 'you are the person I have been waiting to see'.
"He walked quickly to Mr Fry and his family, pushed his chest out and began shouting 'do not push me'.
Bennett then shouted: "Come on then here I am take a swing at me. Hit me. Hit me."
Ms Carr stepped between them, but Bennett grabbed Mr Fry by his coat and pushed him back up against one of the shop fronts, lifted him on to his "tiptoes" and continued threaten him.
Bennett then followed him into Peterlee's Asda store and continued goading him in front of witnesses, the court heard.
Miss Gibson said: "The defendant was aggressive and clearly trying to provoke a fight.
"This incident has left Mr Fry feeling harassed and scared of what this defendant will do to him next.
"It also had a clear effect on his partner, who says she was frightened by what happened."
In a police interview Bennett denied he was the aggressor and claimed Mr Fry had grabbed him by the t- shirt.
Bennett who told the court he was unemployed, said it would be a "physical impossibility" to lift Mr Fry, who was six inches taller than him.
He also claimed the altercation had happened in an alleyway and not against the front of a shop.
District judge Leo Pyle granted Bennett of Ceder Terrace, Fencehouses, near Chester-le-Street, bail until sentencing today.
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