Obsessive Warsop stalker left victim ‘so creeped out’ she considered moving home
A Warsop man who became obsessed with a pub barmaid left his victim “so creeped out" she considered moving out of the area, a court has heard.
Clint Blackburn's nine-month campaign of stalking began in August 2023, and his victim became wary when he started turning up outside her child's school, said Lynn Bickley, prosecuting.
He called her pet names which made her feel "sick to her stomach" and waited for her outside the Co-Op. He requested personal information about her from other people, asked to see her work rota, and stared at her whilst she was working, the court heard.
She described herself as "creeped out" at the thought of Blackburn knowing about her personal life and he was eventually barred from the pub.
Police warned him but he persisted and would loiter in the pub carpark and stare though the windows.
In a statement, she said she described herself as “frightened,” “on edge”, and “anxious” every time she leaves her house.
It affected her ability to work, made her so anxious she cancelled a family holiday, and she even considered leaving the area.
"It would be a dream to walk out of my house without worrying," she said.
Mark Stocks, mitigating, said Blackburn, of previous good character, has a learning difficulty and is incapable of independent living.
He said the stalking was "more to do with his cognitive limitations" than a malicious intention.
Blackburn, 43, of Ridgeway Lane, denied stalking without fear, but was convicted after a trial on May 27.
On Thursday he received a 12-month community order, with rehabilitation days, and a three-year restraining order. He must pay £439 in costs.