RESTRAINING ORDER FOR MAN WHO STALKED NHS STAFF
A man responsible for stalking NHS personnel and care staff has been issued an indefinite restraining order.Michael Meszaros, aged 65, residing at Butts Walk, Cheltenham, was accused of targeting staff members at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Hope Care Service Agency, alleging that they failed to provide adequate care for his late wife, Lucy.
Subsequently, Meszaros engaged in sustained harassment, which included recording NHS staff at their workplaces and posting offensive comments about them on social media platforms.
Following a guilty plea to three counts of stalking, he received an 18-month prison sentence suspended for remaining years and was subject to an indefinite restraining order in Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday.
Additionally, he was fined £300.
The court hearings revealed that Meszaros became a full-time carer for his wife after her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis in 2004, and later, in 2017, her diagnosis with dementia.
Before her passing in 2023, he expressed concerns regarding her care but felt ignored by staff.
Evidence presented showed Meszaros filmed NHS staff and posted derogatory remarks online from February 2021 through March 2024.
A care worker, Imogen Bolton, disclosed that she started taking anti-depressants following her harassment by Meszaros.
"The false claims made me feel embarrassed and it was difficult to make myself well," she said.
she explained.
Other staff members reported feelings of anxiety and nightmares, with some needing escorts to their cars out of fear.
Prior to sentencing, the court learned that Meszaros suffers from multiple issues, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Judge Richard Mawhinney noted that Meszaros was driven by profound grief.
"Your conduct caused extreme alarm and psychological harm," said Mawhinney.
"However you have shown a level of remorse and your health conditions and other matters - including pleading guilty - I take into account," Mawhinney added.
