'Manipulative' Shrewsbury stalker bombarded ex with 75 calls a day and threatened to kill himself

Thomas Stanton, aged 26, followed his victim to work, gave her unwanted gifts and set up 10 different SnapChat accounts so he could pester her online.

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told by prosecutor Suzanne Francis how Stanton and the victim had "an on-off relationship, defined by his cheating and then trying to win her back",

"He would turn up at her home and work and pressure her to take him back," Ms Francis said.

They split in July last year, and Stanton commenced a month-long campaign of harassment. He would phone her constantly, "up to 75 times a day" and threaten suicide over the phone, Ms Francis said.

On one occasion, he saw one of the victim's colleagues in a shop and told him to get her to answer her phone. He later turned up at her work.

Stanton deflated two of the tyres on her car one time when she was at work so she couldn't drive home.

Another time, she was driving to work and could see Stanton was following her. When she got to work, she ran inside to get away from him.

He turned up at her house and, when she told him to go away, he put his foot in the door to stop her closing it. Eventually she got it closed, but Stanton remained outside, banging on the door.

Stanton was spoken to by police on August 10 last year, but their advice for him to leave her alone fell on deaf ears.

He attended her home again to try and get her to take him back and left a box of trainers on her doorstep.

The victim said in an impact statement that because of Stanton's behaviour she "struggled to lead a normal life," and stopped going out as much due to being "scared to bump into Tom".

"I was so scared of what he was capable of," she said. "I was not even safe at my workplace. I want him to leave me alone and let me live my life."

Stanton, of Hillside Drive, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty to one charge of stalking.

Debra White, mitigating, said: "This is clearly a young man who struggles with relationships. He is someone who expresses regret and remorse."

She added that Stanton has "some attachment issues".

Judge Laura Hobson told Stanton: "Your offending has had an enduring impact on her. You harangued her. It was persistent. It was daily.

"You attended her home address and her work. You bombarded her with phone calls. You deflated her car tyres so she couldn't drive away.

"In a particularly manipulative move, you threatened to commit suicide. Even after police warned you to stop, you carried on harassing her. She was too scared to stay at home.

"I've read the pre-sentence report. There is significant mitigation in your case. You have a history of being in local authority care.

"You clearly need help in how to handle personal relationships."

She sentenced him to an 18-month community order. Stanton must also do 150 hours of unpaid work and was made subject of a low level mental health treatment requirement.

He must pay £500 in prosecution costs and was made subject of a seven-year restraining order, banning him from contacting the victim.