One mother was stalked by her ex-boyfriend for several months. She has now revealed that he harassed her via texts, camped out outside of her home and threatened to harm her child.
Sabrina, a recruitment consultant from Hampshire was subject to three-year-long harassment by abusive texts and images via a hidden phone number. She was filmed by her stalker and told that she knew the address of her daughter’s school.
“Most nights, around 9pm,” I’d get a message. She explained this on BBC documentary Stacey Dooley : Stalkers. This aired last evening.
I was alone, living with my baby girl. All messages were “I’m going ruin your life”. Oder “you should dump your car in the central reservation, because nobody will ever miss you”, implying that my daughter would do better without me.
Sabrina eventually discovered the stalker by looking at CCTV footage taken from a nearby pub. She was her ex-boyfriend, who Sabrina thought was a “lovely” man, and had lived with Sabrina for one year.
Terrorized: Sabrina (a recruitment consultant from Hampshire) was repeatedly bombarded by abusive messages and photos for the past three years. She was filmed by her stalker and told that her stalker knew the address of her daughter’s school.
It was shocking: Sabrina eventually discovered that the stalker was her ex-boyfriend, who Sabrina thought was a “lovely” man, and had lived with Sabrina for one year.
Last night’s documentary featured one of her most heartbreaking stories, which was the first part in a series that will be televised in two parts.
Dooley followed the work of a helpline in Portsmouth and a specialist police unit in Cheshire, learning that one in five women have been subjected to stalking — as have one in ten men.
Over half of the UK’s murders of women are the result from stalking. Prior to the crime escalates, stalkers, which are often ex-partners, send intimidating messages to their victims.
50% of stalking cases involve a victim being terrorized by an ex-partner.
Sabrina was one of them. She initially refused to believe that the man she used to trust was responsible for the disturbing messages that kept her awake at night.
One of his late-night messages said, “You’re an awful piece of work.” “I wish your daughter does not grow up like you.”
TV investigation: Dooley followed the work of a helpline in Portsmouth and a specialist police unit in Cheshire, learning that one in five women have been subjected to stalking — as have one in ten men. Dooley filming Stalkers
One of the most alarming was a message that said: “So you blocked me?” You think you know where she went to school? Would you like to find out why I do this?
Sabrina began receiving messages from people about her trips, some with details she couldn’t have known without the help of the sender.
Sabrina became paranoid from the endless text messages. She even suspected that her family was involved at one stage. She stated, “I simply looked at everyone completely different.”
However, her stalker “slipped up”, she said, and she sent her an image of her house taken from the carpark at the pub across the street.
Sabrina became a detective, and she asked the landlord to provide CCTV.
Point turning: Sabrina told her stalker that Sabrina had’slipped-up’ one day and she sent her a picture of her house taken from across the street in the pub carpark. Sabrina became a detective and sought CCTV from the landlord of the pub. Stacey and Sabrina visiting the carpark of the pub.
“When I looked at that, I was able to see him,” she said. She said, “I saw my ex.” “It broke my heart when I saw it. My entire world was just about to collapse.
“Everyone kept telling me it was probably him, but I didn’t stop saying it wasn’t, it wasn’t him. He was wonderful throughout the entire time. We just didn’t work out”.’
Sabrina’s ex-partner lived with Sabrina over a year. She was also ‘best of friends with her daughter’.
Sabrina was able to take another photograph from the same spot, just few nights after he had been arrested by police.
He has not been stopped by police interference.
Sabrina said, “He hasn’t been scared.” “He was arrested 3-4 times. It’s continuing.”
Relief: Sabrina later learned her ex had pleaded guilty, almost three years after the stalking started. He was finally sentenced for nine months.
Elle added, “This has forever changed me.” I have trouble sleeping. Cameras are up in our home. Every night, I look out of my window… This has been a full-on affair.
Sabrina found out that her ex had pleaded guilty three years later.
Smiley, she stated, “That feels good.” ‘It’s done. It feels like I can actually breathe.
Sabrina suffered another setback when Sabrina’s boss called her to let her know that her ex-husband had applied at their company for a job.
She exclaimed, “I just burst into tears,” “I have never ever cried more in my entire life.” My words couldn’t be spoken, and I could barely breathe.
It’s just another video game. It has absolutely destroyed me. I can’t do it. It’s impossible for me to do this anymore.
Viewers learned that Sabrina was sentenced to nine-months in prison, and she received a five years restraining or.
Sabrina received another punch when her boss called to tell her her ex-husband had applied for work at the company. Stacey was informed by her boss over the telephone.
She was hounded for two years by her PT ex, who followed her grandfather around the house.
Katie (29 years old) dated her personal trainer at the gym for five months, before she left him after discovering he was unfaithful.
“To start with, he wanted me to win him back. He would keep coming back. When I got home from work, a note was left on my car.
“Then, after receiving the message from God that there was no way back, they [the messages]The situation began to become threatening.
“It began with an anonymous person texting me, but I recognized it as him due to his spelling. It was endless. I received hundreds of messages.
Victim: Katie was 29 when she dated her personal trainer at the gym for 5 months. She then dumped him after discovering he was unfaithful.
Harassment – Craig used violence to get revenge on Katie, beating him and reporting his assault to police. Craig and Katie as they were in the midst of their relationship
He used violence to get revenge and reported her to police for assault.
Craig increased his stalking, and his lying by using voice notes. Craig began to walk by Katie’s grandparents’ home, even though he knew Katie was there.
“I took a photo of my grandfather’s house and it said, “You’ve got to be out there at 7 because they’re going get it. There won’t even be warning.”
I had no idea what he was capable. I was terrified of him.
Katie’s grandmother warned Katie and asked him to lock the doors.
Craig was eventually sentenced to two years in prison. Katie died just days after her grandfather was sentencing.
Craig was able to apply for parole after serving less than half his sentence. He was refused, but was eventually released on November 20, 2021.
Threatened: Katie was photographed outside the house of her grandfather.
Stacey Dooley, Stalkers: You can watch it on iPlayer