FORMER SPECIAL CONSTABLE JAILED OVER 10-YEAR STALKING
A former special constable carried out a disturbing 10-year stalking campaign against his own girlfriend, during which he encouraged strangers to visit her home and sexually assault her.James Dunne also instructed individuals to send used condoms to her address.
Unaware that he was behind the harassment, the victim who remained in a relationship with Dunne at the time was compelled to relocate multiple times, moving to addresses in Lowestoft, Ditchingham, and Bungay in an effort to escape her stalker.
At Norwich Crown Court, it was revealed that Dunne, 36, who was living with the victim during the harassment, created fake social media profiles, sometimes portraying himself as his girlfriend, to share personal information about her.
He invited strangers some of whom were later arrested to come to her home or workplace to take pictures of her.
He also directed them to leave used condoms in envelopes at her residence, place of work, or on her car door handles, and to approach her claiming they wanted to have sex, citing her own desires.
Prosecutor Jane Oldfield stated that in some messages, recipients were told the victim "would like to have sex at the same time as breastfeeding her baby." The victim installed security cameras to protect herself and her family and to help identify her stalker.
On one occasion, the victim discovered suspicious images on Dunne’s laptop, along with fake accounts he had set up, which he claimed were hacked.
Although Dunne, an engineer for BT Open Reach, was arrested in August 2022 and initially blamed his ex-husband, he continued his stalking after being released.
Miss Oldfield described Dunne’s campaign as "sophisticated" and "well planned," carried out over a lengthy period.
Dunne, from Huddersfield, appeared in court to be sentenced after admitting to three counts of stalking that spanned from June 2013 to November 2022.
He pleaded guilty to fraud as well, having falsely claimed to a company that he had been a police officer in Derbyshire from 2009 to 2014, in order to gain a promotion to security advisor at BT Open Reach and earn an additional £5,000 annually over four years.
In reality, he had never been a police constable and stopped working as a special in 2011.
During the sentencing, the victim read an emotional statement, fighting tears, describing her nine-year ordeal with Dunne as "nothing short of a nightmare." She expressed feelings of fear, isolation, and exhaustion, and revealed how her children had also been affected, including Dunne’s use of her son for sexual gratification.
The judge, Recorder Peter Guest, sentenced Dunne to ten years in prison 82 months for the stalking and a further 38 months on extended licence stating, "This woman lived a life of fear for 10 years.
Forced to move home, forced to fear for the safety of her children." Additionally, Dunne received a six-month sentence for the fraud.
The judge emphasised the victim’s ongoing fear, stating it could take years, if not forever, for her to recover.
Charlene Sumnall, representing Dunne, acknowledged his appalling behavior and remorse, noting that he has been assessed as suffering from mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which partly resulted from witnessing two children die in a fire earlier in his life as a special constable.
Due to these difficulties, Dunne exhibits a lack of consequential thinking.
A restraining order was also issued to prevent him from contacting the victim further.
