A petrol station worker who tracked down a customer’s social media profiles and hounded her with scores of messages has been jailed.
Nicholas Romain, 58, sent 86 messages to Zoe Dowthwaite, who is in her 40s, on Instagram and Facebook starting last August, a court heard.
She had visited the Esso garage in Knutsford, Cheshire, on a number of occasions to fill up her car or collect parcels.
On one occasion she had a ‘normal interaction’ with Romain, prosecutor Gabriella Orthodoxou said.
‘But one day later, she received a follow request on Instagram with a profile belonging to the defendant.
‘He stated that they have a connection and requested for her to attend to collect further parcels.’
Romain is said to have begun by saying her profile picture ‘did not do her justice’ before sending further messages asking her to visit the garage again as he had ‘prepared a speech for her’.
On one occasion he sent more than 20 messages via Facebook Messenger in the space of five hours.
Ms Dowthwaite, an executive at a law firm, said she was left feeling ‘vulnerable’ and spent thousands of pounds installing new home security measures including a panic alarm.
She said she felt forced to stop attending church, networking events and her gym, where she felt ‘there were simply too many males’ and that her actions might be ‘misinterpreted by men’.
‘I feel sad that my warm-hearted nature and my motto to treat everyone with kindness has led me here,’ she added.
Romain, representing himself, said his actions had been ‘twisted and taken out of context’ and referred to Ms Dowthwaite as ‘the so-called victim’.
He claimed he had intended to deny the allegation but pleaded guilty to receive a lesser sentence.
He admitted stalking involving serious alarm or distress and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
JP Sandra Verity, sentencing, told Romain the ‘lack of acceptance of your behaviour’ meant there was ‘not a realistic prospect of rehabilitation’.
Romain was also issued with a five-year restraining order and ordered to pay £547 in costs.
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