Stephen Bear has been jailed for 16 months after admitting he breached a restraining order intended to protect Georgia Harrison. The prison term means the disgraced reality star will miss the birth of his first child, expected in September.
Court sentencing
His Honour Judge Christopher Morgan sentenced the 36-year-old on Thursday (August 6) at Chelmsford Crown Court, alongside a fresh, indefinite restraining order. Bear, who attended court with his wife Miami, will become eligible for release after serving a minimum of half the sentence, reports Essex Live.
Bear was previously jailed in 2023 for voyeurism and disclosing private sexual photographs and films. Months after his release, he initiated an online campaign of abuse targeting Harrison across social media platforms.
Judge's remarks
The court heard Bear made repeated claims over several months branding the Love Island star a "liar" and alleging she and her associates were "manipulating the court process" to secure his imprisonment. In one social media post, published shortly after Harrison received an MBE, he shared a video on Instagram headlined "breaking news Jimmy Saville [sic] racist wins MBE".
Judge Morgan described Bear's posts as being "of the most abhorrent and harmful type", accusing him of "simply victim blaming". He continued: "You simply wished to cause her further harm and that's what you did."
Investigation and response
Bear had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching the restraining order, which carried a maximum five-year custodial sentence. During Thursday's proceedings, he appeared to break down in tears.
Detective Constable Swarv Stafin, who headed the investigation, said: "Stephen Bear's behaviour is not okay and it should not be normalised or accepted. The impacts of being harassed are very real. It causes a great deal of stress and anxiety – it is something no-one should have to experience."
"The fact that he has admitted the charge against him shows he knew very well what he was doing was wrong and he knew he was breaching the restraining order. I want to pay tribute to Georgia's courage and the dignity she has shown throughout the initial investigation and while Bear attempted to discredit her following his sentencing."
Stafin urged anyone experiencing harassing behaviour to report it to the police, adding: "It will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. There are options available to support each victim of such behaviour."
