Martin Hall, 45, would tail Jacqueline Hodkinson on her way home from work in his car, and would turn up wherever she went
A jilted man shadowed his ex through the streets for months in a ‘heart-breaking’ stalking campaign.
Martin Hall would tail Jacqueline Hodkinson on her way home from work in his car, and would turn up wherever she went.
Stockport magistrates heard the 45-year-old from Romiley, Stockport, Greater Manchester, followed Miss Hodkinson to the pub, a restaurant, cafe, swimming pool, shops, the school run and the doctors.
Even after Miss Hodkinson, 40, secretly went to Wales to escape him hounding her he texted her saying, ‘how is the weather in Wales?’.
Images captured Hall as he pursued his ex over a five-month period last year. He would follow Miss Hodkinson for up to an hour at a time, on one occasion holding up a sign saying ‘why tell lies’ in his car.
Hall even took to following Miss Hodkinson’s parents about, making sinister ‘throat-slitting’ gestures.
After his arrest, he admitted two charges of stalking and one of stalking with intent to cause fear of violence.
Magistrates heard he felt unfairly treated after the end of a six-year relationship with Jacqueline Hodkinson in May last year.
Prosecuting, Kate Gaskell said Miss Hodkinson ‘felt constantly on edge and her life had come to a stop’. At times she was unable to go to her job as a purchasing administrator.
In a victim impact statement, Miss Hodkinson said: ‘I just feel absolutely traumatised. It is not just directed at me it is my parents, it is heartbreaking.’
Images captured Hall as he pursued his ex over a five-month period last year. He would follow Miss Hodkinson for up to an hour at a time, once holding up a sign saying ‘why tell lies’
Her father Thomas Hodkinson, 67, who has had a quadruple heart bypass, told the court of the effect on him and his 64-year-old wife Stephanie, saying: ‘His relationship with our daughter is at an end, perhaps this is revenge.
‘It is upsetting, my wife is looking over her shoulder. His behaviour has had such an effect on our family life.’
Hall, of Beacon Road, Romiley, was given 20 weeks jail suspended for two years, 180 hours unpaid work and must participate in the Building Better Relationships programme.
A probation service report said he ‘took very little responsibility for his actions’ but recommended the suspended sentence as he would not have sufficiently long time in prison to be rehabilitated.
Hall took to following Miss Hodkinson’s parents about, making sinister ‘throat-slitting’ gestures, and even tracked his ex when she went to Wales
Defending, Kai Luckham said Hall’s guilty plea showed his remorse and said he wanted help to ‘react better to situations’.
The defence lawyer claimed there was an element of ‘tit-for-tat’ about the case.
Hall told magistrates: ‘I am putting all this behind me, I am not proud of myself and am sorry.’
Awarding £200 compensation to each victim, imposing a five year restraining order and £200 costs, chairman of the bench Mark Wright described Hall’s actions as ‘sustained and planned’.