Bully threatened to throw acid in woman’s face over Cadbury cream egg

Dean Hearne, 38, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

Prosecuting, Stephen Ball told the court how Hearne is a homeless man who the victim took pity on, with a friendship developing between the two.

Hearne, of no fixed abode, showed up at her house in Warrington on Valentine’s Day last year with a rose and a Cadbury's Creme Egg.

After she opened the creme egg it was discovered she had won £1,000 from a promotion being run by the company. This incensed the repeat criminal, who has 30 appearances in court since 2000, ranging from grievous bodily harm to a 2014 assault on a police officer.

She offered to split the winnings with him, but he remained furious, returning to the property on several occasions.

On one occasion in October of 2022, Hearne showed up with a bottle of liquid, informing her it was acid and he was going to throw it on her if she didn’t pay up. He left it in her shed to remind and scare her, though it was later discovered to not be acid but formaldehyde.

Hearne later returned again to the property and began causing criminal damage to her neighbour’s cars and the fence to her house.

When police arrived and arrested him, they placed him in their car, at which point he began headbutting the car window. He had to be removed from the car for his own safety and kicked one of the arresting officers.

In court Hearne elected to defend himself, providing no reasons or evidence to defend himself against the charges.

The court heard how the victim took pity on Hearne (Image: Facebook)

These crimes were in breach of a previous three month suspended sentence, given after he breached a community behavioural order.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said “You made a menacing threat to throw acid in her face.

“You went on a rampage, behaving in a very wild and aggressive way.”

In total, Hearne was sentenced to 12 months in prison, and served a restraining order preventing contact in the next three years.