Telford man issued with Indefinite Stalking Protection Order

A Telford man has been handed an indefinite Stalking Protection Order (SPO) after six years of harassing a woman he met briefly.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed the SPO at Telford Magistrates Court on Monday 14 March. It is the first indefinite SPO for West Mercia Police.

The order was issued after the court heard how the defendant harassed a woman he met in 2016 in a nightclub.  After a brief conversation the victim told the defendant she was not interested.

Following this encounter he started years of social media harassment by sending multiple friend requests and messages on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Goodreads.

In January 2022, after years of online harassment, the defendant showed up at the victim’s address uninvited, which was the first time they had met since 2016. He eventually left the address and did not physically harm her.

Then in February 2022 the defendant sent an email to the victim, which is when she contacted police as she did not know how he’d found her personal email. The victim supported West Mercia Police by agreeing that officers could apply for an SPO from the court.

After hearing all the evidence of stalking and harassment in court magistrates felt an indefinite SPO was needed.

Detective Superintendent Jon Roberts, Head of West Mercia Police’s Vulnerability and Safeguarding Team, said:

“We would like to thank the victim for her cooperation during our investigations and her help in gaining this SPO. This is the first indefinite SPO the force has had, and I believe given the nature of the stalking and harassing the victim was subject to for six years, that it was the right decision made by the magistrates.

“The defendant will now be managed by a dedicated team here at West Mercia, who will visit him unannounced on a regular basis, and manage the risk by ensuring he is complying with the order handed to him in court.

“We would urge anyone with any concerns about harassment or stalking to please get in touch. We act on all reports we receive and offer full support to anyone who feels they are a victim of harassment or stalking.”