South Shields stalker tormented 'petrified' victim then started relationship with woman across road

For months Darren Shreeve sent texts, Facebook messages, made telephone calls, drove past her house and "bombarded" her with emails and letters.  Newcastle Crown Court heard he also contacted her mother and her boss in a bid to speak to her and even told a neighbour she had been out "dogging".  Prosecutor John Crawford said the victim took out a non-molestation order to protect herself and Shreeve was banned from going within 100 meters from her home.  But despite the order Shreeve started seeing a woman who lived directly behind her home in South Shields, South Tyneside, within the exclusion zone. The court heard the victim was forced to leave her job, felt scared to go out of the house and felt "physically sick" at Shreeve's behaviour.  She said in a series of impact statements, which were read in court: "He made me feel unsafe in my own home. 

"I want him to just leave me alone.  "I have never experienced anything like this before.  "I have lost so much of my life because of this.  "I'm petrified he's going to do something really serious to me." She added that she had been impacted "emotionally, physically, financially and mentally".  Shreeve, 56, of Western Approach, South Shields, who has a previous conviction for harassment of a different woman, admitted stalking between November 11, 2020 and March 14, 2021 and breach of the non-molestation order in August 2021.  Mr Recorder Alistair MacDonald KC said: "You breached it (the non molestation order) by going within 100 yards of her address, given you had taken up with a lady who lived behind the complainant's address.  Recorder MacDonald sentenced Shreeve to six months, suspended for two years with programme and rehabilitation requirements and 150 hours unpaid work.  He also made a ten year restraining order with an exclusion zone to keep him away from the victim's home and includes the woman's address, who he is still seeing.  Recorder MacDonald said: "I appreciate you have a relationship with a lady who lives at the back of the complainant's house, which falls within the exclusion zone." The recorder said he had thought "very hard" about banning Shreeve from entering an area where his partner lives but added: "I have sought to balance the inconvenience for you not to be able to go to the house of your partner against the wellbeing of the complainant.  "I am quite satisfied it is entirely as a result of your conduct she is so badly affected. For that reason I have to impose this condition." Shada Mellor, defending, said Shreeve had been "besotted" with the woman but is sorry and embarrassed for what he did and has been in a relationship for three-and-a-half years.  Miss Mellor said his partner visits his home rather than him going to her address, which is behind where the victim lives.