A woman from Staffordshire, identified only as Emily, has spoken out about the harrowing stalking campaign she endured from her former partner, which included threats to jump from a bridge onto her car. The man, who has not been named, was sentenced to a three-year prison term after pleading guilty to stalking at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in July 2018.
Emily described how the abuse began after she ended their four-year relationship in July 2017. Her ex-partner started appearing at locations she frequented and bombarded her with emails, texts, and voicemails. The behaviour escalated when he demanded she return all gifts he had given him so he could burn them, and later threatened to jump from a bridge onto her car, sending a photo from the bridge to emphasise his intent.
The stalking campaign left Emily isolated and suffering from anxiety and depression. She reported the incidents multiple times to Staffordshire Police, leading to her ex-partner's arrest and conviction. In addition to the prison sentence, he received a restraining order, a 12-month community order, and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Emily hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others recognise the signs of stalking and seek help early. Her case comes as Staffordshire Police launched an anti-stalking campaign, revealing that reports of stalking in the area tripled from 2017 to 2018, with 696 incidents reported last year.
“If people can report early and get convictions early and get restraining orders, then hopefully no-one needs to be in the position that I was in or even worse,” Emily said.
