Stalker who turned up on ex's doorstep branded 'inadequate and obsessive'

A Wrexham stalker turned up on his former partner's doorstep despite being banned, a court heard today. Lee Roberts breached a restraining order not to approach his ex.

He admitted breaching a restraining order during a suspended sentence. A judge at Mold Crown Court jailed Roberts, of Isycoed, Gwersyllt, for a total of 19 months.

Prosecutor Joshua Gorst told how Roberts had been in a relationship with a woman. But in July he was convicted of stalking her and given a 12-week sentence, suspended for two years, and an indefinite restraining order. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here

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However in September he sent her sister a message and she told her parents. About two weeks later on September 22 Roberts turned up at her home.

The victim was out at work but her mother asked Roberts what he was doing there when he was banned. Roberts said he thought she wanted to get back together which left her mother confused as she was not aware of this.

Roberts stood "silently" in the doorway staring at the mother for about a minute. When told of the unauthorised visit the victim was troubled.

She struggled to sleep and got a personal attack alarm, said the prosecutor. Police were called and Roberts was arrested on September 24.

Officers reminded him about the restraining order. He said he has images of the victim in his head which are "like bait" to him.

The court heard today Roberts also failed to attend a probation service appointment on August 29 - breaching the terms of his suspended sentence. Richard Edwards, defending, said his client had found it hard to come to terms with the fact that the relationship - his first serous one - was over.

He thought his ex had reached out to him after seeing an image which was "angled towards him" so he visited her home. He did not directly confront his ex and there was no violence or threat of violence, he added.

Mr Edwards said: "He acted following his heart rather than his mind." The judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands said turning up on her doorstep had had a profound effect on his former partner who struggled to sleep and got an attack alarm.

The judge added: "You will have to take the consequences of your irresponsibility, born out of your inadequate and obsessive personality, I'm afraid." He jailed the defendant for eleven months for breaching the suspended sentence and eight months for breaching the restraining order to run consecutively, making a total of 19 months.

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