Derby stalker threatened to rape and murder woman and burn down her house

A “disturbing” Derby stalker threatened to rape, murder and burn down the house of a vulnerable victim he befriended online through a mental health support forum. Derby Crown Court heard how over a six-week period Johnathan Wetton also bombarded the woman with 900 messages, many of which were menacing.

The Chellaston defendant’s actions had such an effect that she had to be sectioned and her family had to beef up their home security in fear he might turn up at their address. Now he is tasting custody for the first time in his life at the age of 39.

Jailing him for a year, Judge Martin Hurst said: “The facts are very disturbing, this was a six-week campaign of terror during which you threatened to burn her house down, threatened to murder her and threatened to rape her. In those six weeks you sent her 900 messages which had an understandable impact on her.

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“She was understandably terrified, she was already suffering from mental health problems and had to be sectioned. I cannot accept your remorse because you told the author of your pre-sentence report she (the victim) was not frightened at all and this was all just play acting.

“Sadly, you are one of many people who think anonymous postings on the internet and threats that would not be made face-to-face are acceptable. I simply do not understand how anybody making threats like these can just think it will be washed away with an expression of remorse.”

Siward James-Moore, prosecuting, said Wetton and the victim, who is from the Norwich area, met online through a mental health support community platform on Instagram as both suffer with issues. He said the defendant sent her a graphic picture of himself self-harming and she complained to the moderator.

The prosecutor said once Wetton found out it was her who made the complaint he began bombarding her with messages and threats. Mr James-Moore said: “He said he knew where she lived and sent further self-harm images saying she was responsible for them.

“She got the police in Norfolk involved who contacted the local police (in Derby) as the threats escalated. She then received multiple missed calls from him and messages with him calling her ‘a rich b***h’ as she was living with her parents while at university.

“On one day he sent 26 messages just saying ‘Why?’. She thought she had blocked him but he still was able to get messages to her.”

Mr James-Moore read out part of a victim impact statement made by the woman in which she told how her family had to change its home security and how she had police markers on her and her social media accounts as a result of the harassment. He said: “She had to be sectioned, hardly left her home and did not feel safe in her own home.

“He was arrested and admitted making the threats to rape and kill but said it was never his intention.”

Wetton, of Aston Close, pleaded guilty to stalking and has one previous conviction for possession of a bladed article from 2018. Paige Yellott, mitigating, said her client accepted what he subjected the woman to was "extremely unpleasant and disgraceful conduct” but if was sent to prison immediately would lose his local authority accommodation.

She said: “They were empty threats but he is sorry for the impact this has had on her.”

As well as the jail term, the judge handed the defendant a lifetime restraining order not to contact the victim, go to any address he knows she might be living or working or going to Norwich.