Women scared by 'strange' man

A Rotorua man who frightened women walking in the Redwoods Forest has been described by a judge as "odd and unpredictable".
Adrian Clegg appeared before Judge Lindsay Moore in the Rotorua District Court for a defended hearing yesterday on a charge of intimidation and three charges of trespassing in the popular Rotorua forest.
Three women gave evidence during the five-hour hearing. But despite one woman saying Clegg frightened her and followed her at pace, Judge Moore dismissed the intimidation charge, saying police had not proved he "intended" to intimidate the woman.
Police trespassed Clegg from the forest following the women's complaints and Judge Moore found him guilty of three counts of trespass.
Judge Moore said Clegg, a 44-year-old invalid beneficiary, was a person with the capacity for "self delusion" and was focused on his own needs rather than what was going on around him.
In evidence, Rotorua woman Wendy Mickleson said she was walking in the Redwoods about 7am on October 21 when she noticed a man on the track about 100m ahead of her.
Moments later she saw him doing press-ups on the track in front of her. Clegg spoke saying it was "a good day for it", which made her "nervous", Mrs Mickleson said.
"I was walking as fast I could. He was saying things that didn't make much sense. They were incoherent ramblings," she said. "I carried on walking as fast as I could. His behaviour and demeanour was not normal to me."
Clegg followed her, frightening her, she said.
"I knew to keep my wits about me ... he was at pace to keep up with me. I was out of there. I wanted to leave him behind ... I was nervous. I made a bee-line for my car. I was quite scared," she said.
On October 30, Senior Constable Peter Bines served Clegg with a trespass notice to stay out of the Redwoods Forest for two years.
Mr Bines' wife, Fiona Bines, testified that she saw Clegg in the forest on Radio Hut Rd on December 2 as she walked her dog.
Clegg was behaving "oddly" at the time.
He was near the track doing press-ups, with a hoodie pulled up over his head, she said.
Mrs Bines said she saw Clegg again on January 5 standing in the tree line adjacent to one of the walking tracks.
"He was just standing there ... muttering to himself. I thought he was a bit strange ... I was scared and started running," she said.
Catherine Hargreaves saw Clegg as she walked her dog through the forest on January 7. He was standing on the edge of the forest and followed her down a track, leaving her feeling frightened, Ms Hargreaves said.
"I heard a noise behind me and turned around ... I jumped, I was quite startled."
Clegg then gave evidence stating he was not sure where he was banned from as police had not made it clear. He had not meant to frighten Mrs Mickleson.
"I can't believe I was being intimidating to anyone. I was just exercising."
The judge said he had concerns about whether Clegg was suffering with "mental health issues or was high on drugs" when he approached the three women.
Mrs Mickleson was clearly frightened by his behaviour, he said.
"She clearly rapidly gained a sense from the way he was behaving that he was somebody being odd and unpredictable."
Clegg was remanded on bail and will be sentenced tomorrow.