Watnall stalker drove victim to consider suicide with ‘depraved’ sexual comments and death threats
A Watnall stalker drove her victim to consider suicide by bombarding him with “depraved” sexual comments and death threats and keeping him under observation, a court has heard.
Amy Pickard peered into her victim’s house to see what he was watching on television and even turned up at his daughter’s school during her persecution of him in September 2024, said Alex Wolfson, prosecuting.
At one stage he was being bombarded with messages every five minutes as she used multiple aliases on Facebook to send “invasive sexual” threats and post Photoshopped pictures of them both.
She referred to him getting his trainers dirty along with messages about shooting him in the head and fantasies about the pair of them committing crimes and getting locked up together.
After her arrest, Pickard claimed he was the father of her child before denying ever having been in a sexual relationship with him.
A stalking order was made in February, prohibiting her from contacting him, but she flouted the ban in June and November last year.
Her victim said Pickard’s actions had a "profound impact" on his life and the lives of his family, friends and colleagues, and plunged him “into a spiral of depression.”
She drove him to the point of considering suicide but luckily his partner recognised the warning signs and was able to intervene. “Massive strain” was placed on his relationship of 17 years, he was signed off work with stress and prevented from celebrating a milestone promotion.
Nottingham Crown Court heard Pickard had two previous convictions for criminal damage.
Catherine Picardo, mitigating, said the defendant was unable to explain her behaviour and must have suffered some sort of breakdown.
She said: “Something has triggered my client to act in the way she has.
“Experts have diagnosed her with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning difficulties and a major depressive disorder.”
Pickard, 41, of Woodlands Close, Watnall, admitted two breaches of a stalking prevention order and harassment when she appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court, on July 7, last year.
Jailing her for four years on Wednesday, with an additional two on licence, Judge Michael Auty KC also imposed an indefinite restraining order.
“It is apparent you represent a serious ongoing danger to your victim,” he told her. “The harm in this case is massive.”