Wiltshire stalking victim reveals horror social media ordeal

WILTSHIRE STALKING VICTIM REVEALS HORROR SOCIAL MEDIA ORDEAL

On February 20, 2025, David Russell was convicted of stalking and sentenced to two years in prison, made the subject of a restraining order, and ordered to pay a surcharge of £228.

She has now allowed Wiltshire Police to share her thoughts on this traumatic experience.

The stalking survivor said: “Since December (2021), I feel that my whole life has been turned upside down.

There is no hiding, and the constant mind play to figure out why and who is just relentless.

"I can remember receiving the message - I was at work when I saw it.

I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach.

I was shaking and then saw the Facebook post and profile.

"It did feel like a huge invasion of privacy, and although I had no problem in locking down my accounts, why should I have to, and who do I know who’s sick enough to do all this?

"I called the police the next day, as I felt that this was something that needed to be reported.

I was tutted at as to why I would do this by my family, but living alone, sometimes you just need some reassurance.

I was so glad I did report it." As time went on, she kept questioning who could be targeting her, stopped going out, and would sit in her living room with the curtains shut.

She added: "I cut off a lot of contact with the people that I knew, as the details that this person knew indicated that it was someone close to me.

"The easiest way to stop further communication from them, I thought, was to not give anyone any information about me.

This has made my life extremely lonely and isolating.

"It has made me question all of my social media and who I’m messaging.

If the picture is of my friend, is it actually?

Has my phone been hacked in any way?

Do I actually have any private life anymore?"