A man has been handed a suspended sentence after carrying out a stalking campaign that included sending artificial intelligence-generated images of himself crying in therapy and repeated Asda deliveries to his victim.
Benjamin Clarkson, 43, of no fixed abode but from Wakefield, admitted stalking and controlling and coercive behaviour, as well as a separate charge of assault by beating. He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, October 16, via video link from HMP Hull.
Campaign of abuse and control
Prosecutor Mollie Briggs told the court that Clarkson's behaviour changed when he began using alcohol as a coping mechanism following his father's death. She said: "Things deteriorated. He became demanding and disrespectful to her. On one occasion when he had been drinking he asked her to bring him another bottle of wine. She refused and went for a bath and he turned the light off and she slipped and hurt herself. She went to bed and he threw her phone towards her and it hit her on the arm."
The court heard that during arguments he had thrown her keys out of a window into nettles, telling her to 'fetch,' and had thrown her phone out of the window on several occasions. On another occasion, while intoxicated, he threw a dinner plate across the room after she told him to 'calm down,' and he also turned off the fuse box so she could not use electricity.
Ms Briggs added: "She often experienced him guilt-tripping her if she did anything without him and he would send messages demanding alcohol and he would ping her phone on Find my iPhone and would control who would visit her and who she was friends with."
Continued harassment after split
After the couple split, Clarkson's behaviour continued. He was arrested on February 18 this year with bail conditions including not to contact the woman. Ms Briggs said: "Between February and June he sent several ASDA deliveries to the address with notes attacked." The notes included the names of the children they shared.
The court heard he sent her relentless messages, including threats to expose her for fraud if she did not stop the charges, as well as screenshots about prison sentences for fraud. A few days later, he sent 47 abusive messages within 20 minutes while a police constable was present. He also sent messages over social media to friends and their partners, and in April sent a letter via his mother highlighting what he was doing to improve his behaviour, showing AI images of him in therapy crying and in the gym.
Clarkson later sent jewellery to the woman and attempted to add her babysitter on social media. He was also seen loitering near her home by both her and neighbours.
Victim impact and sentence
Ms Briggs summarised the victim personal statement, saying: "She has suffered severe anxiety and has had to seek professional help. She has been on antidepressants since March and was given medication to help her sleep." The woman reported short-term memory loss, difficulty eating and working, anxiety attacks, and feeling withdrawn from friends and family. She also feared potential repercussions when Clarkson is released and has had a drink.
Mitigating, Matthew Harding said: "There is a pre-sentence report. The thrust of my submissions are that you can impose a sentence that allows him to be released." He noted the pre-sentence report was helpful and that no relationship is perfect, adding that the death of Clarkson's father was the catalyst.
His Honour Judge Simon Batiste made Clarkson the subject of a sentence suspended for two-and-a-half years, during which he must complete a probation and monitoring requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also made the subject of a seven-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
