Bingo Playing Tears Couple Apart

For the vast majority of bingo players, the activity is an entirely wholesome one that brings fun and entertainment to their lives. Being able to spend time with friends and family members is always very welcome and knowing there is an outside chance of picking up some cash with a winner is always going to be a very good thing. There will be people who can’t handle the pressure and excitement that comes along with bingo and there will be people who struggle to watch others enjoy themselves too. This sometimes manifests itself in a bad way but bingo has been at the heart of a very strange story in Northamptonshire of late.

Bingo addiction can cause problems

A 91 year old man has been convicted of harassing his estranged wife and is believed to be the oldest man in the UK to have a conviction served upon him. The couple were together for 65 years but separated in 2009 due to an alleged assault by Mr Ernest Thallon on his wife, Beatrice. Problems escalated when Mr Thallon started to harass his wife, fearing that her bingo addiction was going to cause financial problems and leading him to be concerned about his property held in houses that the two shared together.

Bingo makes most people happy

Hayley Kempneer was defending Mr Thallon in court and stated; “Mr Thallon says his wife lied about the alleged assaults. He says she has a gambling problem which began when she starting going to bingo. He was worried about the safety of his property which was rightfully his. Mr Thallon is extremely upset now that he has been convicted of this offence as he doesn’t like the idea of passing away with a criminal record. Mrs Thallon has never made a complaint, it was only by way of his own admissions to police that this matter has proceeded to court.”

The main problems arose when Mr Thallon was looking to gain entry to a shared property but his wife refused to give him keys. This sparked off the period of harassment, including letting down the tyres of her car, padlocking her driveway gates shut and even jamming the locks to family homes. This is certainly not the sort of actions you would associate with a 91 year old and it definitely isn’t the sort of situation you expect to arise from playing bingo!