FIVE YEAR SENTENCE FOR STALKER WHO CONTACTED HIS EX MORE THAN 450 TIMES
A former Luton resident who subjected his ex-partner to an obsessive five-week ordeal of stalking and harassment has been sentenced to five years in prison.Adam Meade, 29, was handed the sentence at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday, 12 November.
He is currently serving a prison term for unrelated offences, and the stalking sentence will commence once he completes that term in May 2020.
Phone records revealed that between 11 November and 22 December 2018, Meade, of no fixed address, contacted his former partner more than 450 times using various mobile phone numbers.
The harassment began shortly after the end of their three-month relationship.
Meade initially sent birthday messages, convincing the woman he had changed and persuading her to meet him just days later.
However, upon arriving, he verbally abused her, physically assaulted her, and made threats to harm her and damage her car.
In the days that followed, the woman continued to receive persistent messages.
When Meade offered to repay money he had borrowed, she reluctantly agreed to see him again, too frightened to refuse.
During that meeting, Meade became aggressive once more, threatened her, withdrew funds from her bank account without consent, and broke her bank card.
The abuse escalated with a barrage of unwanted calls and messages, which included increasingly explicit threats to rape her, and to kill her and her family.
On 29 November, after receiving four phone calls from an unknown number, the woman discovered that her car had been vandalised.
Meade then blamed her for his actions and warned her to “watch what happens”.
Meade was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, with a requirement to serve at least two-thirds of the term before being eligible for parole.
He was also classified as dangerous and given an extended licence period of five years upon release.
In addition, he received a concurrent sentence of 27 months for breaching a restraining order.
Investigating Officer Phillip Stanton said: “Meade’s obsessive, fixated behaviour put his victim in genuine fear for not only her own life, but for her family members.
“We know only too well that stalking can be linked to some of the most serious crimes the police can deal with, including murder, sexual offences and domestic abuse.
“We must thank the victim for working with us to secure this prosecution, and the substantial sentence handed to Meade illustrates the seriousness of stalking offences, that can often appear trivial.” Detective Inspector Katherine Rivers, the force’s lead on stalking and harassment, added: “Stalking doesn’t just happen to celebrities.
“This behaviour is about the coercion and control by one person of another, and the escalation of Meade’s threats during these communications meant his victim felt unsafe, even in her own home.
“Spotting the signs of stalking can prevent escalation and I would urge anyone with concerns to contact the police, even if you’re unsure that a crime has been committed.”
