Stalker, 26, who is a ‘danger to women’ jailed
A MAN who stalked a former work colleague by turning up at her home and following her down a motorway has been jailed and branded a ‘danger to women’.
Abdul Basit began his seven-month campaign of against the Hyndburn victim after leaving the delivery company DPD when a 2014 conviction for rape came to light, a court heard.
The 26-year-old tried to contact the woman through her friend before repeatedly turning up at home address and ended with him following her along the M62 and trying to force her to pull off into services.
Basit, 26, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to stalking and was jailed for two years.
Judge Andrew Jefferies QC classed him as a dangerous offender and imposed an extended three-year licence period.
Sentencing, he said: “She must have been absolutely terrified.” Prosecutor Alistair Reid told the court that Basit and the victim both worked at the same DPD depot until he was dismissed.
He then tried to contact the victim through a friend on Facebook, including invitations to go to Flamingo Land, but she ‘expressed no interest in maintaining contact’.
Mr Reid said Basit turned up at her home on the evening of October 5 and she was ‘taken aback and shocked’ when he asked her to get in his car.
Two weeks later his car was spotted again near the address as a family member was walking the dog.
The court was told how Basit followed the victim along the M62 on October 25 and was ‘flashing his lights and swerving between the lanes trying to get her attention’.
Basit then pulled in front of her and put on his hazard warning lights before trying to get her to pull off into services.
When the victim arrived at her brother’s home he asked Basit ‘what he was doing and why he was stalking her’.
Basit told the brother that he was a friend from work but this was challenged by the victim and the police were called.
Basit, of Hurtley Street, Burnley, told officers that he ‘must have got the wrong end of the stick’ and had ‘misread the signals about any possible interest from the victim’.
Neil Ronan, defending, said the defendant showed ‘naivety and a lack of insight’.
He said: “He genuinely has no understanding of what he was doing and the effect he has on people.”