Annika Sands, 41, of Alfred Road in Birkenhead, was handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after stalking a man she met on a dating app in her gold BMW. The court heard that Sands 'couldn't accept that their relationship was over' and subjected her victim, Bradley McCreath, to a campaign of 'entrenched and obsessive behaviour' over nearly a year.
The Relationship and Initial Complaints
Sands and McCreath first met via a dating app in September 2021 and had a 'short lived' relationship lasting weeks. Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said: 'While he made it clear that he was not looking for any form of long term relationship, Ms Sands wanted that relationship to develop. As a result, he ended it. She, however, was not prepared to accept that.' McCreath made an initial report to police in November 2021, but no further action was taken. In January 2022, Sands was subjected to a stalking protection order following complaints from three other men she had short-term relationships with.
Mr Gibson told the court: 'By the end of January 2022, it must have been abundantly clear to Ms Sands what behaviour constituted stalking and that, when relationships ended, they ended. Mr McCreath did not want anything further to do with her.' Matters quietened down for a few months, but on May 15, 2022, McCreath bumped into Sands in a Morrisons Daily store near his home in Upton. He ignored her and a message she sent that night.
Escalation and New Relationship
A week later, on May 22, McCreath was visiting his parents in Irby and was sitting in his parked car at around 12:45am when Sands drove past in her gold-coloured BMW M4 with a distinctive personalised number plate. She then overtook him on Thingwall Road after 'clearly turning around and driving after him'. Later that same day, at Sainsbury's in Upton, she parked next to him and claimed she had been in the store. She liked his picture on the dating app Hinge on June 3, and later banged on his door holding her dog, refusing to leave until warned police would be called.
In the summer of 2022, McCreath began a new relationship with Corinne Roberts. Sands, angered by this, turned her attentions to Roberts. In October 2022, at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet in Ellesmere Port, the couple were having coffee at Pret-a-Manger when Sands walked past and stared. Days later, she sent Roberts a friend request on social media and used her job at Scottish Power to search for Roberts' former address, though she claimed it was for work purposes. She also drove past them smirking on Manor Drive.
In January 2023, Sands called Roberts from an unknown number, and on February 1, she drove past Roberts while she was walking her dog. Two nights later, she was seen driving around near Roberts' house. Sands was arrested on February 7, and her phone contained details of McCreath's phone numbers, social media accounts, and those of his family and friends. She had searched for McCreath's car registration on Cazoo and downloaded pictures of Roberts from social media. There was a strong suspicion she placed a tracking device on McCreath's car, but no evidence supported the allegation.
Impact and Sentencing
Both victims felt compelled to leave their homes. Roberts, who inherited her home from her late father, moved well out of the area. McCreath's whole working and social life was affected; he gave up the gym, his relationship with his father deteriorated, and he was constantly on edge. Sands, who has no previous convictions, admitted two counts of stalking causing serious alarm and distress.
Keith Sutton, defending, said the interactions were 'chance encounters' and that Sands expressed remorse. He noted that three-and-a-half years had passed since the last incident and that Sands was in full-time employment. Judge Anil Murray sentenced Sands to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years and imposed restraining orders banning her from contacting McCreath and Roberts for six years. She was also ordered to pay £700 in court costs at £50 per month.
Judge Murray said: 'You could not accept that the relationship was over, and you misbehaved towards him in a significant way. He then formed a new relationship. You clearly felt jealousy towards her. She was entirely an innocent party in all of this. Your behaviour towards her was worrying and lasted for about four months.' He added that Sands had a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation given her time out of trouble but that 'restraining orders of significant length are needed to give you an incentive to stay away from the complainants.'
