Serial Offender Faces 13 Months Behind Bars
A 54-year-old man from Oxfordshire has been imprisoned after deliberately breaching a restraining order for the tenth time. Christopher Miller, a father-of-six, confronted his ex-wife at her place of work in Banbury on September 21, 2024, shouting obscenities from his car window before making a rude gesture and driving away.
A History of Harassment and Disregard for Court Orders
Oxford Crown Court heard that Miller has a long and troubling history of defying court orders. He already had 23 previous convictions for 44 offences. This latest incident marked his tenth breach of restraining orders initially imposed in 2019 and 2023.
Judge Michael Roques described the breach as deliberate, leading to a 13-month jail sentence. Miller initially denied the offence, forcing the case to be listed for trial, before eventually changing his plea to guilty.
His chilling custody photo, released by Thames Valley Police, shows Miller with a scowl and what appear to be blood-red scratches across his forehead and right cheek. The police force declined to comment on the origin of these marks.
A Pattern of Persistent Anti-Social Behaviour
This is not Miller's first time in court for harassing his ex-wife. In 2019, he was given a community order after she found him at the back of their former marital home months after he had moved out.
By 2023, he was back in Oxford Crown Court, where he gave a speech about feeling isolated, stating, 'I've gone from a big family; six children and a dog.' However, the court also heard that he had sent rambling text messages 'sl****** off' his ex-wife and referred to the restraining order as a 'full of s*** injunction.' For that breach, he was jailed for 16 months.
Recorder Bate-Williams warned him during that sentencing, 'It is important for you to recall that the maximum sentence is five years' imprisonment.'
Miller's problematic behaviour extends beyond his ex-wife. In 2021, he was issued with a civil injunction for antisocial behaviour. This banned him from standing or loitering within 50 metres of any bridge over the A34, M40, or railway lines in Oxfordshire.
A spokesperson for the Bicester and Kidlington Problem Solving Team said at the time, 'The behaviour that Christopher Miller has displayed over a long period of time has caused many residents, members of the public and railway staff a significant amount of alarm and distress.'
