A Dutch national has been handed a lifetime ban from Devon and a two-year prison sentence for waging a relentless campaign of harassment against a family who once offered her help.
An Act of Kindness Turns to Nightmare
The ordeal began when the Teignmouth-based family, who have not been named, met Nicoline Julius during a course in Ireland. Hearing that the 54-year-old from Zutphen was having difficulty returning to the Netherlands, they kindly offered assistance with accommodation.
This act of goodwill quickly soured. Soon after, Julius began an unrelenting campaign of harassment, bombarding the family with messages and refusing to leave them alone. The situation caused the family what was described in Exeter Crown Court as massive stress and anxiety.
A Pattern of Defiance and Escalation
The court heard that the harassment started as early as 2019, when Julius was first given a police caution and told to stop contacting the family. She ignored this and subsequent legal measures designed to protect them.
She repeatedly breached restraining orders, sending multiple text messages. In one particularly brazen act in 2022, she dropped off an envelope at their home containing a gold 'gift' valued at approximately £1,800.
Even after the family contacted the police, the harassment continued via email. Julius messaged them about an alleged 'betrayal' and made contact as recently as 2024 and 2025. On one occasion, she threatened to 'play Gandhi' and park outside their house until they spoke to her.
Life Ban and Prison Sentence Imposed
Julius, who was arrested most recently in September 2025, ultimately pleaded guilty to six breaches of a restraining order. She threw herself to the ground in tears as Judge Stephen Climie delivered the sentence.
In a powerful victim impact statement, the father of the family said, "We were worried we would never get her off our backs or be rid of her... We offered her help once and have regretted it ever since. The harassment has been relentless." He added that Julius had "no boundaries" and that ignoring her did not work.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Kathleen Purshouse said Julius has autism and is prone to focusing on particular details in a way that can become obsessive. She argued her client, who now lives on a plot of land with her children in Ireland, did not intend to cause serious harm.
However, Judge Climie was unequivocal. "Those who are made subject to court orders - if they choose to breach them - they must be sent to prison. Otherwise those orders have little if any real effect or impact," he stated.
The judge imposed a further, lifelong restraining order prohibiting any contact with the family and banned Julius from entering Devon upon her release from custody, citing her "irrational obsession" which had caused enormous distress.
