An Alabama man left boxes of flowers at the grave of his fiancée. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

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An Alabama man who placed several boxes full of flowers on the grave of his fiancée (against the will of the father, who did not approve of the relationship) has been convicted of criminal littering charges and fined nearly $300. Dollars.

The local Opelika-Auburn News reported that Winston 'Winchester' Hagans was sentenced Thursday in Auburn City Court with a warrant signed by the Rev. Tom Ford, the father of Hannah Ford, who died in an accident in January 2021, about a month after getting engaged to Hagans.

Tests showed that the man repeatedly put small boxes with flowers on the woman's grave, and her father removed them.

Under Alabama law, citizens can obtain arrest warrants in municipal court under certain circumstances.

As of May 2021, Ford testified, a total of 10 boxes were placed in the grave, and he either discarded them or returned them to Hagans.

"The first box, when I saw where it was, I picked it up and it shattered," Ford said.

"It was a rotten piece of wood with some photos on it, so I threw it away."

Ford stated that he "certainly did not" approve of the relationship between his daughter and Hagans, which he learned about from other people because she did not tell him.

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The cemetery is owned by the city, and City Attorney Justin Clarl said regulations prohibit "benches, urns, boxes, ornaments, toys, and other similar items" from graves.

Sari Card, a city employee, said she told Hagans that Ford did not want the boxes in the grave and that she planned to take legal action.

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"He assured that he did not care, that every time a box was removed, he would take another to replace it," he said.

Although the defense argued that the flower boxes are not trash, Judge Jim McLaughlin, who convicted Hagans in a bench trial, said the boxes were "a clear case of violation of this scripture and violation of the littering statute." ”.

"The box is not made naturally. It is a strange substance. Whether it is beautiful or not, it is not something that this court has to evaluate," he said.

The defense said it would appeal the conviction to circuit court, where a jury can hear the case.

In addition to a $50 fine and $251 in court costs, Hagans received a 30-day jail sentence that was suspended on the condition that she not place any more flowers on the grave.