Ashfield stalker sent woman voodoo dolls and left axe in pub in 'pattern of bizarre behaviour'

Simon Densham, of Derby Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, also discarded an axe in a beer garden as part of a bizarre pattern of behaviour which began in August 2019, when he met his victim at a pub in Warsop and she asked him for a lighter.

Taking an apparent liking to the woman, he began to leave gifts for her at the pub, stating when he was later interviewed that ‘he liked to give presents to people who he liked’.

The gifts sent to the woman included t-shirts and voodoo dolls.

In addition to this, Densham, 46, persistently sent a series of messages to the victim via Facebook, with the messages becoming more erratic and causing the woman to fear for her safety.

Densham also shouted the victim’s name down a microphone while on the karaoke, causing her anxiety and distress.

In December 2019, Densham was arrested and when interviewed stated he had no intention of causing any harm, despite the woman never replying to his messages or accepting his gifts.

Densham was seen by a member of staff at a club in Nottingham city centre discarding a bag in the beer garden of the venue on 5 July this year.

When the staff member opened the bag, an axe was found inside and Densham was arrested a couple hours later.

Two weeks following the second incident, Densham began sending a series of messages to the original victim’s sister, insinuating that he wanted to shoot a dog and stated ‘in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, they kill the first born’.

Densham was arrested a final time and remanded, charged with harassment, possession of an offensive weapon and making a malicious communication.

He pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday 3 December 2020 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and given a restraining order until further notice against the two women.

PC Michael Fearn, who led the investigation, said: “Densham’s behaviour has caused unnecessary stress and upset for the victims and it was alarming for staff at the club to find a weapon thrown in their beer garden.”