A Knightsbridge property developer ‘bombarded a Game of Thrones actress with gifts and 928 roses after she dumped him for demanding compromising photos’, a court was told.
George Philippedes, 43, who lives in Belgravia, even paid for actress Katie Alexander Thom, 31, to have acting lessons at a top drama school in the US as he tried to win her back.
The Greek property developer sent her one rose for every day of their relationship – without leaving a name or a note.
George Philippedes, 43, pictured left, arriving at Brighton Magistrates Court this morning for his trial on harassment charges involving Game of Thrones actress Katie Alexander-Thom
Miss Alexander-Thom, left, arriving at court this morning as a witness for the trial. She said she once came home from work and found 928 roses waiting for her
Today Philippedes appeared before Brighton Magistrates accused of ‘pursuing’ the actress with ‘unwanted and unwelcome’ attention amounting to harassment without violence between May and December last year.
The businessman – who recently renovated a luxury art deco apartment in Sloane Square now worth up to £8m – pleaded not guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing.
Magistrates in Brighton were told Philippedes, who lives in a £1.5m apartment in Belgravia, and Miss Alexander-Thom had met in 2016 and been in a two and a half year relationship.
Due to their lifestyles they had never lived together but in February last year Philippedes asked the actress to send him compromising pictures of herself.
Roger Booth, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant asked her to send a photo or video in a compromising position which she was not happy about doing so.’
The court heard Philippedes subsequently dumped her by text which made her feel ‘worthless.’
The pair rekindled their romance but after she finally called time on their relationship in April he continued to bombard her with texts, emails, gifts and letters up to 16 pages long.
Appearing in court via video link the HBO Game of Thrones actress, who also stars in Sky One’s Brave New World, said: ‘He was phoning, texting, sending emails and letters. He sent me 57 text messages, a handful of voice notes.
The court was told the huge bunch of roses sent to Miss Alexander Thom, pictured above – one for every day of their relationship – had no sender name and no message
‘He sent 10 emails without me responding. He sent four or five letters between 4 – 16 pages long and he sent me self help books in the post.’
Brighton Magistrates Court was told Miss Alexander Thom had wanted to attend an acting course in the US but was concerned about how much it would cost.
But when she contacted the acting school they told her she had been awarded a grant to cover the fees of the course.
She flew over and attended the course but when she returned she discovered she had not been awarded a scholarship or grant and the fees had instead been paid by Philippedes.
Miss Alexander Thom, who appears in the seventh episode of Game of Thrones’ season six, ‘The Broken Man’, said she came home from work and found 928 roses waiting for her.
The court was told the huge bunch of roses – one for every day of their relationship – had no sender name and no message.
Miss Alexander Thom, left, pictured with Gemma Whelan, who plays Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, in the HBO series’ sixth series, episode seven, ‘The Broken Man’
The actress said: ‘It scared me I knew it wasn’t from my boyfriend so I contacted the florist and they eventually told me they were from Aristo Homes which is George’s company but sent by a different name. It was then I contacted the police the first time.
‘The roses were a real tipping point in what was a continual stream of invasion into my privacy. I felt very targeted and was distancing myself from my friends and it was having a negative impact on work and my relationship.’
Asked what she did Miss Alexander Thom said: ‘I’m an actress.’
Miss Alexander-Thom, is a model turned actress who appeared in a series of films, and commercials and TV productions including the popular HBO series and Sky One’s Brave New World.
Philipeddes, a Greek-born property developer and director of Aristo and Decorim, recently oversaw the major refurbishment of the three-bedroom Sloane Square apartment.
The property, situated at the heart of Knightsbridge, is now being offered for rent to the super-rich at more than £17,000 a month.
The trial is currently ongoing and is expected to conclude today.