Man fined after pleading guilty to stalking a woman in Salisbury

A man from Salisbury has been sentenced for stalking a woman for more than a year.

Peter Hill, 63, of Coronation Road, pleaded guilty to stalking without fear at a court hearing on April 26 at Salisbury Magistrates Court.

He was fined £1000, ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and pay costs of £85.

Local Crime Investigator Dawson said: “Hill stalked his victim over an 18 month period. He would turn up to places he knew she would be, he made contact with a member of her family and he attended her place of work on numerous occasions where he knocked on the doors and windows and called her an unpleasant name.

“Hill held positions of trust within the Salisbury community including being a CCTV volunteer and non-executive director of a local hospital. 

“Stalking and harassment are serious crimes which can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and their friends and family. We are committed to doing everything possible to bring offenders to justice and protect victims. We would encourage anyone who thinks they are being stalked to report it to police straight away.”

Stalking is a pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour that is repeated, persistent, unwanted, and intrusive and causes distress to the victim.

The behaviours can be offline (such as visiting the victim’s home or place of work, following the victim, or leaving gifts) or online (such as unwanted social media communication, calls, texts, emails, hacking, and spyware).

Someone you know could be stalking you, an ex-partner, or a person you were friends with, or it might be a stranger. If it’s someone you know, or knew, it doesn’t mean that it’s your fault; it’s still stalking, and it’s an offence.

You can complete the personal assessment tool from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to find out if you are being stalked.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999. Otherwise, you can report online. Report a crime | Wiltshire Police or by calling 101.

If you are not ready to speak to the police, please call 0808 802 0300 for support from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust National Stalking Helpline.

More information can be found on the Wiltshire Police website: What is stalking and harassment? | Wiltshire Police