ANTHONY COLLINS FROM CHATHAM JAILED FOR STALKING BBC RADIO 2 DJ SARA COX IN KENT
In July 2017, a disturbing case of harassment and indecent image possession culminated in the sentencing of Anthony Collins, a 50-year-old man from Chatham, Kent.Collins was convicted of stalking Sara Cox, the well-known BBC Radio 2 DJ and host of The Great Pottery Throw Down on BBC Two, after a series of alarming actions that caused significant distress to the victim.
According to court proceedings, Collins had engaged in a campaign of harassment by sending handwritten letters to Ms.
Cox, who was born in Bolton and is 42 years old.
These letters, written with felt-tip pens, contained disturbing content and included a printed photograph of Cox, who was referred to by her married name, Cyzer.
The court heard that Collins had purchased her address details online for a mere £17, which he then used to target her.
Prosecutor Mary Jacobson detailed that on January 24, Ms.
Cox received an envelope containing two letters from Collins.
In these messages, Collins expressed feelings of loneliness and psychological disturbance, revealing a long history of criminal behavior.
He described himself as poor, living unhappily in a bedsit, and implored Cox to invite him to the BBC Radio 2 studios, praising her as “lovely, warm, kind and sexy.” One of the letters included a personal description: “Sara, I’m Tony Collins, I’m 49, tall with green eyes.
I know you are married to Ben Cyzer and know he is a successful man.
I’m unsuccessful in my life.” Collins also referenced Cox’s known fondness for dogs and horses, even naming her dog in one of the letters.
He included his mobile phone number and a passport-sized photograph of himself in the correspondence.
Further escalation occurred on February 7, when Collins’s harassment extended to Cox’s husband.
The court was told that her husband received a handwritten letter at his workplace, accompanied by a photograph of Cox holding a child.
The letter also contained a diagram with the words “Cancer Analysis” written in capital letters.
This act heightened Cox’s fear and concern, prompting her to report the incident to the police the following day.
Police investigations led to Collins’s arrest on February 10.
During the search of his residence, officers discovered indecent images of girls aged between four and fifteen stored in his bedside table drawers.
They also found a fake BBC visitor’s pass, a printed Google map of Cox’s sister’s workplace, and additional unposted letters, photographs, and press cuttings related to the case.
In addition to the harassment charges, Collins pleaded guilty at North Kent Magistrates’ Court to possessing two indecent images and making two indecent images of children.
During questioning, Collins admitted that he wanted to be in the news and fully acknowledged that his actions constituted harassment.
Judge Martin Joy, presiding over the sentencing, expressed disappointment that prosecutors did not pursue additional charges related to a previous restraining order breach, which could have resulted in a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Collins was ultimately sentenced to 16 months in jail for his crimes, which have left a lasting impact on the victim and her family.
