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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Geoffrey Bennett

Stalker subjected woman to campaign of fear

A Kingswood man who admitted persistently stalking a woman has avoided immediate custody.

Jacob Manfield, 27, of Downend Road, pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence between April 27 and August 11 last year.

Bristol Crown Court heard that in a deliberate, protracted campaign of abuse Manfield phoned the woman, visited her home when barred from doing so and went to her place of work.

READ MORE: We list the convicted criminals we reported on who were jailed in September 2021

The judge told Manfield: "This was all directed to upsetting her, putting her in fear and being oppressive.

"You both knew and intended that would cause this particular victim significant psychological stress.

"You sought, persistently, to bully her and control her."

The court heard Manfield, who has a personality disorder, had previous convictions for harassment in 2013 and 2015 - and had failed to learn from a Building Better Relationships programme.

Having deferred sentence, the judge had wanted to sentence Manfield to a very structured mental health order which can be managed within the community.

However, the judge said it had not been possible to instigate such an order.

He told Manfield: "Despite the efforts of the court no-one is going to be able to move the National Health Service to provide you with assessment to see what treatment that can be given to you.

"This is more about the huge volume of people suffering from problems not unlike your own."

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The court heard Manfield was benefiting from good support from a probation officer, to whom he had been frank.

The judge handed Manfield two years' prison, suspended for two years.

He was told to abide by a six months curfew in which he must remain at home from 7pm to 5am on an electronic tag.

He was given a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was handed a five-year restraining order to have no contact with his victim and was made the subject to GPS tracking for two years.

The judge will have Manfield back in court on January 3 and April 1 next year to review reports on his progress.

The judge told him: "If you commit any further offences the matter is reserved to this court and it will come back before me."

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