Online troll ‘destroyed Vine’s well-being’
JEREMY Vine was among several BBC staff who suffered a relentless wave of online personal attacks from a former radio presenter, a court was told yesterday.
Alex Belfield subjected the Radio 2 host to a ‘constant bombardment’ after falsely accusing him of stealing £1,000 of licence fee payers’ money for a drinks party.
The harassing tweets and YouTube videos destroyed Vine’s sense of well-being and optimism, jurors were told.
Vine, 57, was left struggling to sleep, lost his appetite and was ‘constantly thinking what Mr Belfield’s next broadcast would be’, prosecutors said. He also received threatening messages from fans of the YouTuber.
Belfield, 42, is accused of stalking Vine between April 2020 and March last year, causing the broadcaster serious alarm or distress.
He faces the same charge in relation to seven other alleged victims, including five BBC employees. He denies all eight charges.
John McGuinness, QC, prosecuting, told Nottingham Crown Court that although Belfield did not physically stalk his victims, some were left worried about the possibility of him turning up at their homes. Belfield’s conduct was ‘more akin to internet trolling’, he added.
‘The alleged victims did not want to be contacted by Mr Belfield. They did not want to see him or hear him.’
Belfield of Mapperley, Nottingham, is defending himself. He told police he was ‘not guilty of any of the allegations’. He claimed he was the subject of a witch hunt by the BBC.
The trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks, continues.