Holehouse’s 13-year obsession spiralled when he bumped into the woman in a pub in Chesterfield
A stalker fantasised about kidnapping a woman at knifepoint, sexually abusing her and decapitating her with a meat cleaver, before delivering her head to police.
Peter Holehouse, 27, has been ‘obsessed’ for 13 years with the woman he used to go school with, Derby Crown Court heard.
The self-declared ‘sad, little weirdo’ sat outside her Derbyshire house with night vision goggles, sent her ‘disturbing’ Facebook messages because he was angry that she’d been kissing her boyfriend.
Holehouse, of Coupe Lane, Chesterfield, was jailed for a total of seven years for one count of stalking after his obsession surfaced in hypnotherapy sessions.
Prosecuting, Abigail Joyce said Holehouse’s ‘obsessive behaviour’ started during his time at school.
His disturbing behaviour spiralled out of control in March 2017 – more than 10 years later – after he bumped into the woman, who is from Tibshelf, in the Rose and Crown Pub in Chesterfield.
Ms Joyce, who researched articles on prolific rapists and stalkers, said he was ‘angry’ and felt ‘betrayed’ to see her kissing her boyfriend.
She said: ‘He told a friend he wanted to run her over in his car. He also said he wanted to threaten her at knifepoint to get her in the car so he could spend time with her.
‘He later messaged his friend and said he wanted to decapitate her with a meat cleaver and take her head to the police.’
After the pub visit, Holehouse sent a lengthy message through Facebook to his victim declaring his ‘infatuation’.
He wrote that the victim might remember him as the ‘sad, little weirdo in school who stared at her all day and creeped her out’.
He said he had been ‘preoccupied’ with her for the last 10 years because she’s ‘awesome’.
He wrote: ‘You haven’t heard from me before because I’ve been in a good state of mind. But when I’m ill it is you that I think about.’
In July 2017, he met a hypnotherapist and spoke about a fantasy to kidnap his victim at work using a cricket bat, rip her clothes off and sexually assault her, Ms Joyce said.
She added: ‘The hypnotherapist described that the defendant appeared to take pleasure from the fact that he had caused distress to the victim and her family.’
The therapist reported her concerns to the police and Holehouse was arrested in July 2017.
Holehouse was jailed at Derby Crown Court (pictured) after he wrote to the woman describing himself as a ‘sad little weirdo’
Police found night-vision goggles, binoculars and a balaclava in his boot of his car, the court was told.
Journals and various notes revealed further disturbing behaviour, including one entry which said he should ‘rape women’ who don’t look at him.
Various images of the victim’s home and place of work were also found on his mobile phone and computer, Ms Joyce said.
Holehouse, of Coupe Lane, Chesterfield, admitted one charge of stalking at Derby Crown Court.
He was sentenced for a total of seven years – four years in prison and three years on licence – on Friday.
He was also given a restraining order banning him from going within 2,000 metres of the victim’s address in Tibshelf.
Sentencing him, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: ‘I am troubled by the length of this obsession. You pose a significant risk of causing serious harm by further offences to this woman.
‘It certainly caused very serious distress to the victim and her family. It has led to a massive change in her lifestyle. She stopped running and walking. It affected her work.’
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she became ‘very anxious’ and afraid to be home alone.
She said she’s scared the defendant is waiting at their family home at night and the incident has ‘affected every aspect of her life’.
In mitigation, Katrina Wilson said Holehouse had serious mental health issues and had tried to seek help.
She said a period in custody and a steady routine has already had a positive effect on his wellbeing.
She added: ‘This is not somebody who didn’t realise that what he was doing was wrong. He wishes to offer his apologies to the victim.’