FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR STALKER AFTER DETECTIVE MATCHES HIS HANDWRITING
A man has been incarcerated thanks to the courage of his stalking victim and the skilled efforts of an investigator who linked his handwriting to correspondence he previously sent from prison.Shuaib Muhammad, aged 31, received a five-year prison sentence after stalking a stranger over three years, during which he operated across three different addresses in South Tyneside.
The victim believed she was being stalked after experiencing a series of mysterious incidents, including receiving two letters from an unidentified individual requesting contact, as well as damage to her vehicle and property.
In response, she installed CCTV cameras and moved to a new address, but Muhammad repeatedly tampered with her security arrangements.
He was caught multiple times on CCTV, or seen by the victim and neighbors, peering through windows and loitering outside her home.
During the course of the harassment, the victim also received several phone calls from a caller ID blocked number, which she answered to hear breathing on the line.
Detective Constable Rachel Hyde from the Criminal Investigation Department led the investigation.
She identified Muhammad, who had a prior conviction for stalking in 2018, as her main suspect.
Her breakthrough came after she matched handwriting on a note found by the victim to letters Muhammad had sent while in prison.
Muhammad, residing on Marshall Wallis Road in South Shields, was arrested on suspicion of stalking.
During a search of his residence, officers recovered a jacket, two sets of tracksuit bottoms, and a collection of blue gloves items he was seen wearing during several unwarranted visits to the victim’s home, captured on CCTV.
Following a detailed and complex investigation, Muhammad was formally charged in March 2024.
He appeared in Newcastle Crown Court in May, where the strength of evidence against him led to a guilty plea for stalking.
On December 24, he was sentenced to five years in prison at the same court.
Upon release, he will serve a three-year license period and will be subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing contact with the victim.
Detective Constable Hyde commended the victim for her bravery amid the ordeal.
