Chairman of Inacity ordered to do community service for throwing rocks at home of former lover's boyfriend

The chairman of a multi-million pound property developer has admitted throwing rocks at the home of a lawyer who had started dating his former lover.

Wayne Mellor, 52, of Inacity, the company behind the £220m plan for a 58-storey tower in Manchester, was ordered to do community service, pay compensation and attend anger management classes.

Mellor turned up at the house of solicitor Martin Coyne at 4am and began to throw stones at the house and two Mercedes-Benz cars that were in the driveway.

Coyne was inside with Deborah Chapman, a former business partner of Mellor’s who had previously had a year long relationship with him.

Chapman, herself an owner of a multi-million pound property portfolio, said yesterday she was still fearful of her former lover after becoming the victim of an abusive campaign.

She claimed that he had sent her “a barrage” of abusive text messages when she and Coyne arranged to go skiing together and said she eventually took out a court order to prevent her ex-lover from contacting her.

Last week Mellor pleaded guilty before Norwich magistrates to criminal damage of a window and two vehicles. He insisted he was not motivated by jealousy but rather a dispute about a “seven-figure sum” which Mellor claims he is owed as part of their business dealings and over which he is now taking legal action.

He was given a 12-month community and supervision order, and ordered to pay £200 costs and £378 in compensation, as well as attend an anger management course and do 150 hours of unpaid work.

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