A FISHPONDS man who harassed a mother and son, threatening to torture them, has been jailed for seven years.
Stewart Jackson, aged 53, repeatedly made phone calls and sent threatening emails in which he talked about harming and torturing the woman and her son, who was one of his former tenants, last year.
Avon & Somerset police said he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to two charges of stalking, causing serious alarm or distress.
Jackson also admitted a charge of improper use of a public electronic communications network for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety, in relation to a call he made to the police last year.
He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court in February.
The woman, who has not been named by police, described the impact of Jackson’s harassment in a statement prepared for the court.
‘I spent many nights crying myself to sleep’
She said: “I felt his intention was to scare, frighten and intimidate me.
“Depression, anxiety and panic were beginning to take over.
“I spent many nights crying myself to sleep. I was so miserable and unhappy, and wishing that he would leave me and my son alone.
“Our lives became a nightmare – we were continuously looking over our shoulders in case Jackson was lurking about and both of us were now suffering with anxiety and panic attacks.
“What sort of man would think that this kind of behaviour was OK?
“He has made my retirement to date an absolute nightmare and without doubt the most miserable and unhappy time of my life.”
‘Vile threats’ of ‘fixated’ stalker
After Jackson was jailed, Detective Constable Samuel Sherwin, said: “Stewart Jackson stalked his two victims while knowing he was causing them significant distress for a number of years.
“He fixated on them, sending vile threats, which were designed to keep them afraid that he could appear any minute and harm them.
“He used his financial status to attempt to avoid accountability for this, with the stalking routinely changing locations and crossing borders, while continuing to harass his victims.”
Police are encouraging anyone who is a victim of stalking to report it to them.
Information about support services, including the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the National Stalking Helpline, is available online.