A stalker moved subsequent door to the place his sufferer lived and purchased the identical canine and automobile as her, a courtroom heard.
Martin Gunn had met the sufferer on Hinge, a courting app, and began stalking her after only a few dates. The 51-year-old despatched quite a few undesirable letters and emails, repeatedly attended place of labor, home deal with, health club and her baby’s college.
Attending Reading Magistrates Court in custody, the heavy-built defendant wore a gray jail tracksuit as he listened to the prosecution’s abstract of the case.
Chad Echakowitz, prosecuting, mentioned: “The defendant first met the victim on the dating app Hinge in March 2023. They only went on a few dates together and the relationship was only minorly intimate – some kissing.
“In April 2023, the defendant became jealous and worried the victim was seeing other people. He questioned the victim about who she was messaging and why she was messaging people.”
The sufferer, a businesswoman, had mentioned she solely needed to be buddies with Gunn, however he didn’t take this properly and despatched her a lot of messages, the courtroom heard.
Flowers appeared on the sufferer’s doorstep and he purchased her tickets to a Chelsea soccer match, the prosecutor mentioned.
Right across the nook
Mr Echakowitz added: “The defendant held this over her, asking her on many occasions in the months to come for money for the tickets, using this as an excuse to contact her.”
In May final yr, the defendant – who had lived in one other a part of Windsor for eight years prior – “suddenly” moved to only across the nook from the place the sufferer lived within the city and texted her to let her know.
Concerned about this, the sufferer had responded: “It is right around the corner from me.” Magistrates have been informed that the defendant replied: “Do not worry, I am not a stalker, ha ha”.
Gunn subsequently despatched the sufferer undesirable items and additional bunches of flowers, the courtroom heard.
Mr Echakowitz informed the courtroom that the sufferer noticed the defendant at her place of labor in October final yr, staring by means of the window.
“He had brought the exact same dog as her,” the prosecutor mentioned. The defendant then turned as much as her office on quite a few additional events.
Gunn messaged the sufferer to let her know he could be becoming a member of the identical health club as her, prompting her to hurry to the ability and plead with the administration to refuse his utility.
Although Gunn was refused access, he was typically noticed loitering round outdoors the health club, the courtroom heard.
Last November, the sufferer bought a black Mercedes E-class automobile and throughout the similar month, the defendant introduced the identical E-class, inflicting the sufferer concern.
In December, the sufferer grew to become more and more involved as Gunn continued to drive previous her home, contact her and try to present her letters. She then contacted the police and he was arrested.
