A homeless man who stalked Harry Styles after the singer bought him a sandwich because he ‘felt sorry for him’ faces sentencing today.
The former One Direction singer, 25, spotted Pablo Tarazaga-Orero, 26, sleeping rough in a bus stop outside his London home.
He offered to buy him some food or a hotel room and eventually bought him food from a vegan cafe.
But the Spanish national’s behaviour soon escalated and a three-month stalking campaign begun, a court heard.
He posted notes and money through his letterbox, and followed the singer on his runs and visits to the pub.
Tarazaga-Orero was today seen arriving at Hendon Magistrates Court in north London where he will be sentenced for stalking.
Pablo Tarazaga-Orero, 26, is pictured arriving at Hendon Magistrates Court this morning to be sentenced for stalking Harry Styles (right in New York in March)
At a previous hearing last week, District Judge Nigel Dean praised Styles for stopping ‘out of the goodness of his heart’ and trying to help a man who was ‘down on his luck’.
But he said it was evident the defendant had camped in the bus stop outside the star’s home because ‘he knew that Mr Styles lived close by’.
His behaviour escalated when Tarazago-Orero lunged at Styles and attempted to grab him while he was jogging through Regent’s Park in May, the court was told.
The 25-year-old star went to the police in June after the defendant’s ‘erratic and frightening behaviour’ left him feeling insecure at home.
Speaking from behind a screen, the Brit Award-winner, who is worth around £50 million, told the judge he ‘felt sorry’ for Tarazaga-Orero after spotting him sleeping outside in the rain.
He said: ‘I first became aware of him in March. I thought it was sad that someone so young was sleeping rough at a bus stop when it was cold.
‘I pulled up in my car next to the bus stop and offered him some money so he could get a hotel or some food.’
Styles said he would see Tarazago-Orero outside his home every day even after he was cautioned by officers.
He was ‘certain’ he was being followed after he started seeing Tarazago-Orero in his local pub, The Spaniards Inn.
Police were sent to the star’s home in April this year after he told officers the defendant’s ‘erratic and frightening behaviour’ left him feeling insecure at home. Pictured, Pablo Tarazaga-Orero, 26, at the scene
Harry’s security staff called homeless charities to try to arrange shelter for Tarazaga-Orero, but he refused offers for help.
The star’s neighbour Rafael Krezeszewsky told the court Tarazaga-Orero once told him he was ‘the soulmate of Harry Styles’ and was ‘spiritually protecting him’.
Harry was forced to deny he offered the defendant money to have ‘fun’ in a hotel on their first meeting.
He replied ‘I did not’ after defence barrister Jenni Dempster QC said: ‘Do you suggest both of you could have gone to a hotel to have fun.’
Styles told the court: ‘He told me that he couldn’t accept the money for religious reasons. I asked him if he needed any food, he asked for some edamame beans.
‘I stopped at a vegan cafe, I bought two sandwiches, two salads, two muffins all heated then took them to Pablo.
‘I passed him the bag of food through the car window at which point he asked me if I wanted to go to a restaurant to eat with him.
‘I told him I was on my way to work. I found it a little odd. His facial expression made me feel a little uneasy. It was like a smirk. Until that point, I never felt unsafe or uneasy in my own home.’
Despite cutting contact with the man on the advice of his security staff, Styles continued to spot Tarazaga-Orero ‘incredibly often (…) almost every day’.
He told the court he saw Pablo at the bus stop 50 yards from his home ‘at least five days a week’ from then on, adding: ‘He had hung some pictures on the wall at some point, there was always a trace of the fact that he had been there or he was returning at some point soon.’
Pablo Tarazaga-Orero (pictured outside court in July), was found guilty of one count of stalking
In April, he posted change to the value of £49.95 through Styles’ letter box.
The prosecution argued that Tarazaga-Orero’s stalking has had a ‘significant effect on (Mr Styles’) day-to-day life’.
Styles said: ‘I never really encountered this kind of behaviour before. I’ve employed a night guard. I continue to lock my bedroom door at night.’ He also said he continues to check for ‘weak spots’ in his home.
District Judge Nigel Dean said: ‘It would be fair for me to say at this stage that I found Mr Styles to be a reliable and credible witness.
‘It seemed to me that he was doing his best to assist the court. I didn’t find any major inconsistencies or shortcomings in relation to his evidence.
‘Mr Styles felt sorry for a young man who he saw to be living without a home during the winter when it was cold and raining very heavily and having first noticed him he then out of goodness of his heart stopped and offered to fund the defendant’s hotel accommodation that evening.
‘I found the suggestion that Mr Styles also, the suggestion that he would accompany the defendant for fun to be completely incredible.
‘These were honest, well intended, good intentions from somebody who was trying to help another for whom he felt sorry and who he thought was down on his luck.
‘He knew perfectly well that what he was doing at that stage amounted to harassment of Mr Styles.’I’m quite satisfied that this behaviour had the effect of harassing Mr Styles.’
Harry Styles is pictured at different fashion events in May this year