‘I feel trapped, like my freedom has been taken away’ – a man found guilty of stalking has been ordered to stay away from Seaton after a court heard how his victim was left in constant fear.
A 32-year-old man has been banned from entering an East Devon town after being convicted of stalking a woman by sending her repeated unwanted messages and turning up at her workplace, writes Isabelle Pinnock, OPCC court reporting scheme.
Alex Pike, of Fairby Barn and Cove, Tiverton, was found guilty Exeter Magistrates’ Court of stalking offences committed between May 7, 2024 and February 17, 2025.
The court heard that Pike sent multiple unwanted messages to the complainant via social media, as well as to her friends and family. Despite the woman blocking him online, he continued to attempt contact her, sending flowers to her workplace and later attending her workplace unannounced.
The complainant did not know Pike prior to the messages. Pike claimed the pair had matched on a dating site.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said: “I have been living in a constant state of fear and anxiety… I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel trapped, like my freedom has been taken away.”
The court was told Pike had no previous convictions. In mitigation, the court heard that he believed he and the complainant were communicating indirectly through Spotify playlists.
He was also found guilty of two counts of common assault on police officers.
Magistrates imposed a community order for 18 months, requiring Pike to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to each police officer, £650 in costs, and was excluded from Seaton for six months, enforced by an electronic monitoring tag.
