RELENTLESS STALKER JAILED AFTER SENDING WOMAN 520 MESSAGES IN FIVE DAYS
A persistent stalker who sent more than 500 messages to a terrified victim in five days has finally been jailed.Andrew Costa-Freeman, 24, met the woman, aged in her twenties, in 2015, but she later told him to stop contacting her.
He ignored this and carried on messaging and in March this year he was served with a harassment warning.
Just a week later he contacted her to say he would ignore the order and he continued to harass her over Facebook Messenger.
Costa-Freeman, of Londsale Avenue, Newham, east London, was rearrested and jailed for two years after admitting stalking involving serious alarm or distress, and breaching a restraining order.
The case was brought to court following a rigorous investigation led by officers attached to the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre (STAC).
Detective Inspector Lee Barnard said: ‘Costa-Freeman’s behaviour was indicative of a stalker seeking intimacy, blindly pursuing a relationship and being spurred on rather than deterred by the rejections.
This case is another example of how devastating an impact stalking has on the lives of those targeted.
It is an unwarranted intrusion, and victims are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened.
‘Victims of these offences sometimes feel that they have no control of the situation, and often don’t know where to turn and when to seek help.
The Met takes all stalking allegations very seriously, and the sooner we know, the sooner we can act and deal with the perpetrator, and provide the necessary support to those affected.’
