Obsessed man walks free after driving 250 miles to peer in ex's bedroom window
An obsessive ex drove nearly 250 miles and was caught peering into his ex-girlfriend's bedroom window after she ended their relationship.
Graham Clayton met the woman in November 2020 and by New Year the pair were in a relationship.
After around a year of dating however, the victim ended the rocky courtship.
A sentencing hearing at Teesside Crown Court heard Clayton then launched a campaign of harassment because he was in love with the woman and couldn't handle the rejection.
Outlining the case, prosecutor Kelly Clarke, said the relationship was "up and down" and after the break up Clayton would repeatedly message and call the victim.
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She said: "When the complainant did not answer the defendant would go off in a rage. The complainant reiterated she did not want a relationship and wanted less contact with him."
The court heard the 54-year-old continued to call and message the victim despite her asking him to stop and he threatened to travel to see her.
Ms Clarke said one day he made 31 calls and left 34 messages.
Ms Clarke said the victim was fearful and moved in with her brother who lived in London.
She said in the early hours of December 30, 2021, the defendant attended the victim's address and sent her a photograph with the caption 'last chance [name of victim]'.
He then accused her of being with a friend of her brother when she told him she wasn't at her home.
The court heard Clayton travelled through the night from Teesside to London to her brother's home.
Ms Clarke said: "The complainant saw the defendant peering through the bedroom window and after being spotted he hid in the bushes.
He was allowed in and began bombarding the complainant with questions."
Clayton was told to leave and did so but then returned 15 minutes later with gifts and was crying, begging the victim to go back with him.
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The prosecutor said he had a onesie in his hand and wrapped it around the woman's neck like a scarf.
The court heard he left but then sent the victim a message saying he'd crashed his car and broken his arm.
He continued to try and contact her the next day and said he was going to collect her to take her back to Teesside.
The victim left her brother's house and went to another address before returning home on January 3, 2022.
The court heard she found a letter from the defendant on her doorstep and spotted him inside his van.
Ms Clarke said he asked to collect his belongings which she agreed to but he instead spent his time trying to convince her to get back together with him.
Over the next few days, he continued to call and text her and posted another letter.
Police were called and the victim blocked his number.
The court heard two more letters were delivered and 30 calls and messages were sent.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "I have never experienced anything like this in my life and was unable to see the situation building until it broke me."
However, Clayton's barrister Rod Hunt, said as soon as the police became involved in the case Clayton complied with bail conditions.
He admitted the defendant couldn't cope with the relationship ending.
Mr Hunt said: "He was in love with the complainant and when the relationship came to an end he couldn't cope and he behaved like a baffled teenager rather than an adult." He said the defendant recognises the relationship is over and learned from his mistakes.
Clayton pleaded guilty to harassment during trial and possession of a Class B drug - amphetamine - at an earlier hearing.
The defendant - who has 33 convictions for 63 offences - was handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years.
Judge Howard Crowson ordered Clayton, of Vulcan Way, Thornaby, to complete the building better relationships programme.
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