A victim has told courts she lives in 'constant fear' as her stalker is jailed for just six weeks.
Pete Milner, 51, of Kenton Drive in Trowbridge, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 12, at Bristol Crown Court for stalking a woman he met through volunteering.
The court heard how from September to November 2023, Milner obsessively bombarded his victim's phone with messages, and stored photos from her social media on his own devices.
But as his behaviour escalated, Milner began making false welfare reports about the woman and told police she was being held hostage, so they were duty-bound to check up on her and report back to Milner.
This continued for several months.
In a statement read to the court, his victim said: "I was subjected to continuous harassment directly and when Milner was blocked, he resorted to public social media posts and then my friends.
"His behaviour extended to extreme measures, telling police that I was being held hostage and I was being prevented from speaking to him.
"He had no concept of reality. The police were duty-bound to check in on me which resulted in coming to my home and then having to update Milner with regards to my welfare.
"My sense of safety I once took for granted, vanished, replaced by a constant feeling of fear and uncertainty."
Pete Milner was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after months of stalking (Image: Newsquest)
After a guilty plea from Milner, the Trowbridge man was sentenced to six weeks in prison for stalking, as well as a seven-year restraining order.
"Stalking is an intrusive crime and we take reports very seriously," said PC Michael Land.
"Victims are endlessly harassed, their private lives are completely intruded and the lasting impact on a victim can be life-changing.
"I hope this sentence gives other victims encouragement and belief that they will be listened to and by working with the police they can help stop this impactful behaviour.
"I'd like to thank Milner's victim for coming to us and trusting us to help them seek justice. We know that telling someone is hard to do, but there are organisations that can help you."
Stalking behaviours can appear small in isolation, but when they are fixated, obsessed, unwanted and repeated, then victims should record it, keep a log of evidence and report it before it escalates further, police advise.
Anyone who is being stalked, or knows someone who is being stalked, should contact the police who can put you in touch with other support organisations and take action when necessary.
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