Claire Foy 'frightened to leave her property' as stalker avoids jail

Claire Foy, a star of The Crown, said her freedoms had "gone" as her stalker avoided jail.

Jason Penrose, 49, a US citizen, sent the actress more than 1,000 emails, including one referring to rape, and turned up at her door where he repeatedly rang her doorbell.

He was given a stalking protection order in July and pleaded guilty in November to stalking Ms Foy between August 2021 and February 2022.

He also admitted two charges of breaching an interim stalking ban order by sending a letter and a parcel to the Golden Globe winner, who played the young Queen in the first two series of the hit Netflix show.

Penrose was sentenced to one year and 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, at the Old Bailey on Friday and will be repatriated to the US.

Judge David Aaronberg KC said he remains "troubled" that Penrose, a paranoid schizophrenic, "may continue to be infatuated with Ms Foy", despite having been repeatedly told she wants no contact from him.

Foy has become 'scared and suspicious'

The judge said Ms Foy has "become scared and suspicious of post she does not recognise and of her front doorbell ringing" in the wake of the stalking.

He added: "She told the police she was frightened to leave her property in case you might follow her."

Quoting a statement from Ms Foy, he said: "I feel like the freedoms I enjoyed before Mr Penrose contacted me have now gone. I view the world in a much more fearful way."

The judge said there is no record of him being cleared for "lawful entry to the UK" and that he was liable to be deported had he not voluntarily agreed to return to the US.

Varinder Hayre, prosecuting, had earlier told the court: "Ms Foy has been targeted by Mr Penrose in a sustained, unwanted, fixated and obsessive behaviour that was intrusive due to his delusional beliefs."

The court heard that between August and September 2021 alone, Natalie Day, an employee at Ms Foy's talent agency, received 287 emails and eight switchboard messages from Penrose, who initially claimed to be a film producer.

'Terrified in her own home'

On the night he went to Ms Foy's address, the door intercom was rung seven times before being answered by her daughter, and Penrose said: "It's Jason, I'm outside."

Ms Hayre described some of the emails sent by Penrose, who also contacted Ms Foy's sister and ex-boyfriend, were "quite graphic" and that "she struggles to sleep and is terrified in her own home".

She said: "He talked about the victim Ms Foy being raped and wanted her to be his girlfriend."

Penrose was bearded, wearing an open collar white shirt and dark jacket in the Old Bailey.

The sentencing was adjourned last month after Wood Green Crown Court was sent a letter, which Penrose denied sending, by someone with an "obsession" with Ms Foy who said “they are likely to write again on occasion" to her.

The conditions of Penrose's suspended sentence include that he must remain under the care of a psychiatrist in the UK until his repatriation, and that he must co-operate fully with his return to the US. He was also handed a restraining order.

The court heard that he will return to Florida to live with his mother and receive further psychiatric care and is banned from the London boroughs of Camden and Islington, except to collect his US passport.