Grieving widow avoids jail after harassing staff at hospital where her husband died

A grieving widow who admitted harassing three members of staff at a hospital where her husband DIED has walked free from court.

Margaret Harvey, 75, bombarded Pauline Crossley – a former legal advisor at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire – with phone calls and even turned up at her home.

She became obsessed with staff at the hospital who she blamed for causing the death of her husband Graham who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2004 aged 66.

Since her husband’s death she has harassed three members of staff, including cardiologist Dr John Davis who treated Graham.

In 2012 she even armed herself with a wooden MEAT HAMMER and travelled to Dr Davis’ holiday home in Cornwall where she planned to confront him.

Last September she was jailed for 28 days for bombarding the hospital’s former chief executive Julia Bridgewater with late night nuisance phone calls.

But she was spared jail on Tuesday when she appeared again at North Staffordshire Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to harassing 57-year-old Mrs Crossely.

JPs slapped her with an eight week prison sentence, suspended for eighteen months, and a 10-year restraining order.

But the defiant pensioner says she will continue her campaign to prove her husband was let down – despite numerous investigations finding the hospital has no case to answer.

The court heard that following the death of her husband, Harvey had numerous “dealings” with Mrs Crossley in 2006.

But in October this year Harvey found Mrs Crossley’s home address and phone number and began to harass her.

Giles Rowdon, prosecuting, told magistrates she called the home three times on October 5.

He said: “She said, ‘Will you not help me now you no longer work for the trust, and bring me the records? Will you help me?’

“When Mrs Crossley said there was nothing she could do the defendant said, ‘How would you feel if I paid someone to do something to your sons?'”

Mrs Crossley then stopped answering the phone, but Harvey left a voicemail message later that day, and again on October 7, talking about a ‘cover-up’.

She was arrested later that day and admitted in interview that she had been to the house in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., to try and see Mrs Crossley.

Angela Trafford, defending Harvey, said: “Mrs Harvey is not sorry for trying to get justice for her husband, but she is sorry that she’s caused Mrs Crossley distress.

“She is not going to stop this fight for justice until she takes her last breath, but she is not going to commit any further offences.”

Harvey is already subject to an indefinite order banning her from contacting Mrs Bridgewater or going near her home.

She hired a private detective to find Mrs Bridgewater’s telephone number and started repeatedly calling her in November 2011 – despite the fact that Mrs Bridgewater was not working at the hospital at the time of Graham’s death.

Mrs Bridgewater contacted police and had a panic alarm installed at her home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs., but the calls continued.

Harvey refused to comment outside court.