Spurned woman tried to win back lover with fake pregnancy belly
AN ADVERTISING agency worker used a fake pregnancy belly she bought online as she tried to win back her exboyfriend, a court was told yesterday.
Jessica Nordquist, 25, is charged with stalking Mark Weeks, her ex-partner, after they met while working for Unruly, a video advertising company based in Whitechapel, east London.
Ms Nordquist, described as a solutions engineer for the company, moved from New York to the London office in June last year. She allegedly launched a harassment campaign against Mr Weeks, a sales manager for Unruly, after they broke up last November.
Snaresbrook Crown Court heard she
‘I’m telling people at work I had an abortion and if they ask with who I’ll say you’
sent “abusive and untrue” emails to Mr Weeks, his friends and colleagues.
She then claimed she was a victim of the same stalking campaign as Mr Weeks by sending fake threatening emails to them both from anonymous accounts. The court heard Ms Nordquist also ordered a fake silicon pregnancy belly on Amazon and claimed she had taken an overdose.
Claire Robinson, prosecuting, said the pair started dating in August last year but “wanted different things” and broke up three months later.
Ms Robinson told jurors that after they separated Ms Nordquist seemed to want to get his attention. “She left handwritten notes on his bike and desk,” she said.
Ms Nordquist asked to meet for coffee but when Mr Weeks said no he was “met with some angry text messages”.
The court heard Mr Weeks said Ms Nordquist sent emails about his private life to senior colleagues at Unruly.
“I was really anxious,” he said. “The effect it was having on my career and my reputation in the company.
“It was sent to the people who control how I progress within the company so obviously it was scary.”
She then claimed she was eight weeks pregnant with his baby, jurors heard. They went to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and on December 13 Ms Nordquist was said to have an abortion.
When they returned to Unruly after the Christmas break, Ms Nordquist asked if they could rekindle their romance, the court heard.
After he rejected her advances, Ms Nordquist sent him a message on Instagram saying: “I’m telling people at work I had an abortion and if they ask with who I’ll say you.”
Ms Nordquist then posted an Instagram message saying she had an abortion after she “fell into a relationship”, said Ms Robinson.
“This was the message, the Crown suggests, that was posted by Jessica Nordquist on her Instagram telling everyone, as she had said to Mr Weeks, that she was going to be telling people about her abortion.”
Ms Nordquist allegedly posted a message, purporting to be from her friend, claiming she had taken an overdose on January 5. Six says later Ms Nordquist began sending messages to herself and Mr Weeks, made to look as though they were from a third party.
She later claimed to police she was the victim of a stalking campaign. Ms Nordquist also sent tagged posts to Mr Weeks’ Unruly clients accusing him of rape. After police seized her phone and ipad they found searches about sending fake emails and stalking.
Police also found searches for “fake babies” and a silicon baby bump had been ordered on Amazon. She had also researched whether police can track where emails are sent from.
Ms Nordquist, of Cavell Street, Tower Hamlets, east London, denies two counts of stalking, two counts of sending malicious communications and one count of perverting the course of justice. The trial continues.