Man who harassed singer Cheryl must wait for sentence

A man who has admitted harassing Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy must wait to be sentenced, a judge has said.

Daniel Bannister, 50, of no fixed abode, has been remanded in custody pending sentence and appeared, via an online link, at a magistrates’ court hearing in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, on Monday.

The case had been listed for sentencing but a lawyer told District Judge Arvind Sharma that no sentence could be passed because a pre-sentence report relating to Bannister’s health had not been finalised.

Tweedy, 41, who is also known as Cheryl Cole and as Cheryl, was living in Buckinghamshire when Bannister offended.

Bannister had admitted harassment, breaching a restraining order, and attempting to breach a restraining order, at an earlier stage of proceedings.

He raised the issue of sentencing at Monday’s hearing and asked the judge: “Is there no option for the sentence to go through today, even though there has not been a report?”

The judge told him imposing a sentence without a report would not be “fair”.

He said the case would be reconsidered on 14 March.

“I appreciate it has been delayed quite a lot,” said the judge.

“But I cannot really do anything fairly with you until I know what your health situation is.”

He added: “I am sure you have got better things to do than sit in prison.”

The judge told Bannister that if a prison term was imposed, time spent on remand while awaiting sentence would count as part of that term.

Bannister had previously appeared in court on 30 January, at another hearing listed for sentencing.

Tweedy did not attend that hearing or Monday’s.

The singer was married to former Arsenal, Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole.

They divorced more than a decade ago.