South Tyneside woman could be jailed after admitting to stalking a former partner for four months

A South Tyneside woman who stalked a former partner for four months while addicted to booze could be jailed.
South Tyneside Law Courts.  Picture by FRANK REID. South Tyneside Law Courts.  Picture by FRANK REID.
South Tyneside Law Courts. Picture by FRANK REID.

Gemma Proud, 37, also known as Rowe, committed the offence between May 31 and September 30 in Hebburn, a court heard.

Proud, of Bede Walk, Hebburn, did so by sending a series of electronic communications – including messages and emails – and also made phone calls.

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She has now been warned by a judge, who called for a Probation Service report into her offending, that she could be imprisoned for her crime.

Deputy District Judge Jane Hamilton told her the report would cover all options, and said: “It’s messaging, ringing and emails.

“Even at the lowest band, it’s custody.”

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Michael Rose said only: “This lady is of hitherto good character.”

Geoffrey Forrester, defending, told the hearing: “The cause of this behaviour to which she pleaded guilty, was an alcohol addiction.

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“She has addressed that privately by paying to go into rehab. She has completed an alcohol rehabilitation course, which was for four weeks.

“She just doesn’t recognise herself as the person who behaved like that.”

Proud admitted a charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

The charge states her actions had a substantial adverse effect on her victim’s day-to-day activities.

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It also says that she knew or ought to have known her course of conduct would cause alarm or distress.

She will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, February 23, and was granted bail on condition she does not contact her victim.

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