CHORLEYWOOD MAN JAILED FOR HORRIFIC STALKING CAMPAIGN
A resident of Chorleywood has received a prison sentence for leading a reprehensible and terrifying stalking campaign that instilled profound fear in a mother and her children.Charles Vance, aged 43, orchestrated a conspiracy involving three colleagues, who were used as fake characters to intimidate his former partner.
From January to April 2022, the victim endured hundreds of text messages and phone calls that included death threats, threats to impregnate her, and disturbing acts such as a lighter being posted through her mailbox, white lilies symbolizing death being sent to her address, her car windows being smashed, and horrifying noises from horror films being played over the phone.
Vance also falsely claimed to be a victim of the same stalker and reported crimes he knew were fabricated in an effort to mislead law enforcement.
He involved Sean Kellard, 32, Ryan Burton, 25, and David Black, 30, all of whom were convicted and sentenced for conspiring to stalk and intimidate through threats of violence.
Vance was sentenced to two years and four months in prison, with an additional eight months for obstructing justice, to run concurrently.
A five-year restraining order was issued to restrict any contact with the victim.
Kellard was sentenced to 21 months, Burton received 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years with extra conditions, and Black received a nine-month sentence suspended for two years.
Detective Constable Tilly Andrews described the case as harrowing and emphasized how Vance created false identities to hide the real perpetrators and level false accusations, which made the case both complex and distressing.
