MAN JAILED FOR “APPALLING” HARASSMENT OF WORK COLLEAGUE
Andrew Boyle, of Ettington Avenue, Middlesbrough, subjected a woman to relentless harassment over the course of a year, bombarding her with messages and phone calls that left her fearing for her safety.The campaign of unwanted contact began after the woman declined the 40-year-old’s invitation for a drink an answer he repeatedly refused to accept.
At the time, Boyle was employed as a healthcare assistant and was training as a student nurse at Roseberry Park Hospital.
He initially met the woman through work and began messaging her via Facebook in March 2022.
Five months later, when she turned down his invitation due to being in a committed relationship, he responded with a voice note saying: “I am Andy Boyle, I have never had a no in my life.” Despite her attempts to block him on Facebook, the woman continued to receive messages as Boyle attempted to contact her through other social media platforms, all of which she rejected.
Unable to reach her online, Boyle then began emailing her at work.
He criticised her for not responding, calling her “rude” and “ignorant,” and insisted that he would not “accept” no as an answer.
He went further by changing his work shifts to align with hers and began spreading false rumours about her personal relationships and professional conduct to other colleagues.
When the victim reported his behaviour to the police, Boyle failed to heed their warnings and was eventually arrested in July 2023.
He was later charged and remanded in custody ahead of his court appearance at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, 9 January 2025.
The court heard that the woman now lives in constant fear as a result of Boyle’s threats.
Once a confident, independent, and outgoing individual, she now feels unsafe when leaving her home or workplace and remains in a state of heightened anxiety.
Judge Advocate Thomas Mitchell sentenced Boyle to 22 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a charge of putting a person in fear of violence through harassment.
In addition, an indefinite restraining order was imposed, prohibiting any form of contact with the victim or visits to her place of employment.
A breach of the order could result in a prison sentence of up to five years.
