A man from Egremont has been jailed for 16 months today (Tuesday 29 September 2020) for stalking his former partner.
Christopher Fisher, 28, of Buchanan Road, pleaded guilty to the stalking involving fear of violence of his former partner throughout 2019 and the earlier part of 2020.
Fisher was initially charged on 16 June this year, but continued to harass the victim so was further arrested and charged with stalking and remanded into custody, where he has remained.
He was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today. He was also given a 10-year restraining order.
The court heard that following the breakdown of his relationship with his partner at the end of 2018, Fisher had repeatedly called and sent emails and social media messages to the victim, at one stage calling her up to 192 times a day.
Many were threatening or emotionally manipulative, and the victim continually made it clear his contact was unwanted.
Sergeant Michael Moran said: “This was a frightening experience for the victim, who was subject to Fisher’s stalking for many months.
“It will no doubt come as a relief to his victim to know he is now behind bars, where I hope he reflects on the significant impact his behaviour has had.
“It is never ok for someone to make another person feel threatened or in fear. The victim in this case made it very clear that their relationship was over and that she wanted to move on.
“She had every right to carry on with her life, but Fisher’s actions deprived her of that right. Not only that, she lived with the fear that Fisher would carry out the violence he threatened her with.
“We do not want anyone in a similar situation to suffer in silence. You might not even realise you are the victim of a criminal offence, but I want to take this opportunity to reassure you that we will take any such allegations extremely seriously, and where offences are identified will take the strongest action possible to put the offender before the courts.
“Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for the force and Merseyside Police and our partners know from speaking to victims that the experience of being stalked can leave victims feeling unsettled, distressed and isolated.
“We have specially trained officers to support victims every step of the way, providing safeguarding, support and reassurance. We know the act of speaking out can sometimes be daunting, but we are here to make that experience as comfortable as it can be.
“I hope this case gives other victims the confidence to come forward if they are being subjected to this type of unacceptable and criminal behaviour so that we can take action.
“If you feel you have been a victim of this type of crime, please get in contact with police. If you are ever in immediate danger always dial 999. If you do not want to contact the police at this time then seek support from other agencies or speak to friends and family about what is happening. But above all else: don’t suffer in silence.”
Anyone who would like to report an offence of stalking or who has information is encouraged to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can also call the National Stalking Helpline, a project run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, on 0808 802 0300.
In her victim impact statement the victim stated:
“I felt anxious, on edge, terrified, fearing for my safety, controlled and watched again, almost like he was abusing me from afar and I hadn’t left the nightmare of our relationship.
“As the harassment escalated, he threatened my life in a series of voicemails, and threatened to come and find me. I was absolutely petrified, as he knew where I lived.
“He also contacted what seemed like every male friend I had on Facebook – creating new accounts if he had to – asking if they knew about any relationship I might be in.
“He then resorted to impersonating friends and even faking his own death to his friends for a week to get a reaction from me. This caused me to feel intensely distressed anguished, humiliated and isolated as I had to explain to co-workers, friends and acquaintances (even months later) what I was dealing with, which was just as hard as admitting it to myself.
“The fact that he threatened literally every aspect of my life (university, career, relationships, friendships, safety of home, my own life) meant that I have developed Complex PTSD.
“This means I have nightmares, flashbacks, major anxiety, trust issues, difficulty controlling my emotions, dissociation, occasional physical pains and suicidal thoughts.”
