I’m scared in my own home, says Claire as stalker is spared jail
CLAIRE Foy is afraid to leave her home and feels scared when the doorbell rings, a court heard yesterday, as a stalker she feared could kill her was spared jail.
The Crown star, who played the Queen in the first two series of the Netflix show, said she remains terrified after Jason Penrose turned up at her home and spoke to her seven-year-old daughter through an intercom.
‘I view the world in a much more fearful way as a direct result of his actions,’ she said.
Penrose, 49, bombarded Ms Foy with thousands of emails, left eight switchboard messages and even sent a parcel and letter to her home after being banned from contacting her for five years.
The American, who is in Britain illegally, was spared jail at the Old Bailey after a judge heard that he will be repatriated to his home country to live with his mother in Florida. He was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
In an anguished letter to the court, 38year-old Ms Foy described the impact of Penrose’s stalking campaign.
‘I have felt terrified and helpless in my own home. I have had to have numerous meetings with my daughter’s school, neighbours, family members and work colleagues who had all been affected by Mr Penrose’s stalking and harassment and all have legitimate fears and concerns regarding his behaviours.
‘I will again be scared to leave my front door, pick my daughter up from school and return home at night. I feel like the freedoms I enjoyed before Mr Penrose contacted me have now gone.’
Penrose first contacted Ms Foy’s agent in February 2021 pretending he was a scriptwriter with a £16 million deal with Warner Brothers and claiming he wanted her to star in his sci-fi film. The actress refused, telling her agent she did not know who he was.
But Penrose then sent more than 1,000 graphic emails, including one referring to rape, between February 2021 and February 2022. On December 10, 2021, Ms Foy was informed by a café owner that Penrose had turned up asking where she was, knowing it was a place she visited.
On December 17, he went to her home and repeatedly rang the doorbell. When the intercom was answered by her daughter, Penrose said: ‘It’s Jason, I’m outside.’
Judge David Aaronberg KC said Penrose had a history of mental health issues going back to 2015 and had not been taking any medication. Since his arrest last year, he has been treated at a hospital in London. The judge told Penrose: ‘Ms Foy suffered great emotional anxiety and difficulty sleeping as a result of your behaviour. She has felt very vulnerable and has had to make significant lifestyle changes, especially since you turned up at her home in December 2021.’
A repatriation flight has not been booked, but it is thought Penrose will return to the US next week.
If he comes back to , Penrose must notify police and provide his address in the UK, contact details and the duration of his stay, the judge ruled.
An indefinite restraining order was also granted, banning Penrose from contacting Ms Foy or going to certain boroughs in London.
‘The freedoms I enjoyed have gone’