Man jailed for stalking BBC presenter, forcing her off the air

A British man was sentenced to larger than three months behind bars this week for stalking a most well-liked BBC presenter, who detailed how the harassment pressured her to take time away from work.

Timothy O’Brien, 55, of Christchurch, was sentenced on Wednesday to seventeen weeks’ imprisonment and given an indefinite restraining order stopping him from contacting the sufferer, the Advertiser & Times reported.

Before sentencing, the Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how the earlier avionics engineer despatched BBC South presenter Alexis Green over 100 suggestive Facebook messages between Dec. 18 and Jan. 24, when he was arrested.

“I feel physically sick presenting the weather, knowing the defendant could be watching,” Green knowledgeable the courtroom docket in her sufferer assertion.

Eventually, Green said, she took day off of labor to deal with the “extreme anxiety” O’Brien’s harassment advertising and marketing marketing campaign introduced on her.

The Cardiff University graduate, who lives together with her affiliate and baby, spoke from behind a show display so she didn’t ought to see the defendant, The Telegraph reported.

Green moreover said that O’Brien’s obsessive conduct curtailed her working habits on account of she imagined him “lurking behind [her].”

“It has made me feel less confident in every aspect of my life,” she said.

“I can’t remember feeling such a dark time in my life…And all this because of one man’s actions and obsessions.”

According to the Daily Echo, O’Brien wept as he listened to Green’s assertion.

Green’s emotional phrases have been underscored by prosecutor Bethany Adams, who described the “unpleasant” content material materials of the messages, footage, and films O’Brien despatched.

In addition to repellent suggestions about Green’s “nice legs” and “sexy little dress,” Adams said, O’Brien moreover equipped to ship her further illicit images and propositioned her for intercourse.

“He asks Ms. Green if she likes his body and said ‘if you like I will send a picture of my [genitals]. If you don’t block me I will take that as a yes’, accompanied by emojis with love eyes and tongue out,’” Adams said of 1 video.

O’Brien was arrested on suspicion of stalking in late January after Green unsuccessfully tried to dam him.

Green, however, said she continued to stress on account of she didn’t know whether or not or not O’Brien had been launched or not inside the lead as a lot as the courtroom docket date.

 “I’m on the TV – he will always be able to see me,” she outlined.

During mitigation, safety lawyer Mark Hensleigh said that O’Brien “accepts what he did was wrong and he apologizes to the victim.”

The father of 4, Hensleigh continued, beforehand liked a “successful career” until the tip of his marriage prompted him to “fixate” on people. 

O’Brien, who had earlier convictions of stalking and violating a restraining order, allegedly knowledgeable his safety that he messaged Green whereas “in drink.”

In addition to the jail time interval and restraining order, Fiona Chalkley moreover ordered O’Brien to cowl courtroom docket prices and to keep away from Green’s place of work.