‘My ex made my life hell for four years’

Sam Taylor, 49, director of anti-stalking charity Veritas, was stalked after she ended a five-year relationship in 2008. Speaking weeks after ministers increased prison sentences for stalking to a maximum of 14 years, she tells Closer: “My ex had been verbally abusive in our relationship, which is why I split up with him. When I told him it was over, he attacked me and tried to break my neck so I had to call the police. He was released on bail and charged with battery.

“After that, the stalking began, starting with constant calls – saying he loved me or being abusive. I jumped whenever my phone rang, scared that it would be him. It soon escalated – and after a week he began sleeping in the allotments behind my house. I was terrified and moved into a women’s refuge. While I was there, he broke into my house. I stopped going out at all without someone with me, I felt like I was being hunted and just waiting to be killed – a study by the University of Gloucestershire found stalking was present in 94 per cent of the criminal homicides they looked at.

“I reported every incident to the police and they put restraining orders on him, in total there were four in four years and he was jailed four times for a few weeks at a time, but as soon as he came out, he’d start again. Eventually, he stopped in 2012. Under his release terms he’s not allowed into my town. The police advised me to move away – but I’d have no support network if I did. Stalking is one of the worst things that can happen to a person and the police didn’t do enough to help me.”

For anti-stalking help and advice, visit Veritas-justice.co.uk