A stalker contacted police to help find his victim after claiming her friends were ‘keeping her away’ from him.
The offender then called the authorities for a second consecutive day to say he had more information about the victims address and that he was going to knock doors in the area until he found her.
This was before a report was received of a man calling houses in a Haverfordwest estate during the early morning of May 28, hours after calling the police.
Jamie Norman, 39, from Milford Haven, was handed a suspended sentence after a four-week long campaign, which included sending a woman 80 Facebook messages over 14 days and telling the victim’s mother he wanted to marry her.
He was arrested on May 28 by Dyfed-Powys Police due to the severe and concerning nature of the offending.
Officer DC Gmerek said: “This was quite an unusual investigation as the offender himself contacted police when he claimed the victim’s friends were preventing her from being in contact with him.
“There was a large amount of evidence to consider, given the number of messages sent both to the victim and others.
“The evidence showed a high degree of obsession, including sexual elements and implicit threat, as well as the FOUR behaviours of stalking: Fixated, obsessed, unwanted and repeated.
“A charge for stalking involving serious alarm or distress was authorised.”
When appearing in court on June 18, Norman admitted the offence and was sentence to six months in prison but suspended for 18 months.
During this time, he must carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work and complete a rehabilitation activity requirement.
DC Gmerek continued: “Stalking and harassment can cause serious distress to victims, leaving them looking over their shoulder and questioning their safety.
“Norman’s victim expressed feelings of anxiety and fear and felt compelled to change parts of her lifestyle as a result of his behaviour.
“It is a very brave step to take in reporting stalking behaviour to police, and I would like to commend the victim in this case for reaching out for support.”
Dyfed-Powys police are committed to eliminating domestic abuse, stalking and harassment while supporting victims who come forward to report crimes.
If you need support for domestic abuse, stalking or harassment, please visit https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/advice/.
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