Anna Friel has said she is constantly looking over her shoulder after a man stalked her for three years, telling her she would make the “perfect wife” and turning up at her home with a ring. Phil Appleton, 71, a former pilot and actor, was made subject to a 15-year restraining order at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday, preventing him from contacting Friel and banning him from specific areas she frequents.
Friel said Appleton had “invaded” her private life and that protecting herself and her family against him had taken up valuable time. In victim personal statements, she said: “As a woman in the acting industry where there have been lots of cases relating to stalking, it has still shocked me when this has happened to me. This case has made me feel very threatened and makes me feel like I am having to look over my shoulder all the time.”
The court heard that Friel was first approached by Appleton in 2022 while walking with her daughter in Windsor, Berkshire. He claimed to have worked with her and she gave him her email. He then sent regular emails, saying he loved her and inviting her to meals. In December 2022, he attempted to join her health club and referred to her as “the perfect wife”. After a warning from police, he continued his behaviour.
In December 2023, Appleton turned up at Friel's home in a dinner jacket, saying he was taking her to a ball. A year later, he returned, mouthed “I love you” to her security cameras and held up a ring. He came back the next morning, and when Friel opened the door, she screamed and called the police. He was arrested that evening.
Appleton admitted stalking in August. His barrister said he felt sorry and ashamed. The judge sentenced him to a 24-month community order with 10 rehabilitation days. Friel, 49, known for her role in Brookside and the BBC drama Unforgivable, said she felt her teenage daughter was in danger and that the case had been “incredibly time consuming”.
