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22
Nov 2024
Stalker avoids jail after leaving note at Harrogate woman’s parents’ grave
A man was sentenced for stalking at Harrogate Magistrates Court today (November 22).
Carl Leighton, of Law Close in Wetherby, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking involving serious alarm or distress on October 24.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, today told the court the stalking happened between November 2023 and February 2024.
She said the named victim, an ex-girlfriend of Leighton’s, broke the relationship off shortly before the stalking began.
Ms Ibbotson said Leighton, 45, sent a total of 2,257 emails to the Harrogate district woman. The court heard she replied to some of them telling Leighton the relationship was over.
Ms Ibbotson told the court:
On November 19, the defendant sent the woman a video of him crying and begging for her back. He also said he loved her and wanted to marry her.
A few days later, he emailed her and said he was going to take his own life and wanted to get back together with her.
Ms Ibbotson told the court Leighton continued to contact the woman – despite her telling him not to – and went on to contact her employer and her son.
Leighton told the victim’s employer he loved the woman, and later asked her son for permission to marry his mother. He was again told to leave her alone.
The court heard the defendant sent the woman flowers, chocolate and a card at Christmas.
Ms Ibbotson also said the victim’s daughter was due to give evidence in court around the Christmas period. She added Leighton messaged the victim on Christmas Eve saying he would “turn up to the court case”.
The woman called him a “sick freak”, the court heard.
The prosecution added:
On Christmas Day, the defendant sent a video of himself at the woman’s parents’ grave. He was begging her to get back together with him in the video.
He also left a note at the grave saying he 'loved their daughter'. This caused her to feel very distressed.
Ms Ibbotson told the court the defendant also emailed the woman saying she was “drinking wine and watching TV with glasses on”, so the victim believed Leighton was watching her.
Leighton proceeded to send her emails of a sexual nature, messaged the woman’s friends and called the victim 78 times using no caller ID, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson also said the defendant emailed the woman around 30 times a day.
The victim became fearful for herself and her children, she could not sleep at night, she was scared when the phone rang and she could not visit her parents' grave out of fear, the prosecution adds.
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‘He thought she was the one’
Sean Wilson, defending, told the court Leighton admitted the offences to the police after he was arrested in February.
He said Leighton had not made any contact with the victim since February and accepts what he did.
Mr Wilson added:
Mr Leighton returned home from work to packed bags. [Victim] told him the relationship was over – this was a few weeks after they had been on holiday together.
They were meeting and talking well into December. But the situation escalated as the defendant struggled to cope with the relationship ending.
Mr Wilson told the court the relationship ending came as a "complete shock" to Leighton as he “thought she was the one”.
The defence said Leighton, who was wearing a grey top and dark trousers in court, was of previous good character. He works on a farm and has a smallholding himself.
The magistrates handed Leighton an 18-month suspended sentence.
He was ordered to undergo 36 days of a probation service programme, as well as 20 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work.
An 18-month restraining order was also made, and Leighton must pay the court a total of £239.
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