Judge condemns 'truly terrifying behaviour' of Bewsey stalker

Ben Gill became infatuated with his former friend and subjected her to months of harassment and threatening behaviour.

The 31-year-old threatened to ‘throw a tonne of bricks’ on his victim and was caught on CCTV on several occasions, hiding in bushes and watching through the window of her ground floor flat at night.

His alarming behaviour came to a head when police found Gill hiding in a bush near the victim’s address wearing a balaclava, masking tape on his clothing and holding a sock containing a knife.

Prosecuting, Joanne Moore said the defendant first met the claimant when he moved in next door to her at an address on Gerrard Avenue in 2022.

“They became friends, but the victim made it clear her priority was her daughter and her daughter’s safety,” she said.

“It was not until August last year that she decided she could trust him. Initially it was a good relationship but by October it became uneasy.”

Ms Moore told the courts how he would not let her be alone and if she ever wanted to go out without him, he would ‘get upset’.

After a brief time, the claimant broke it off with Gill but said they could still remain friends, he then began to ‘rely’ on this.

“His behaviour was strange. He would try to convince her to talk to him. He would try to persuade her to get a taxi to work, other than lifts from friends.”

Gills obsession did not end there and when he found out his victim was moving house, he was ‘determined’ to help in the transition of moving, in order to gain the knowledge of her new address.

On moving in day, the courts heard how Gill bizarrely walked around her new area introducing himself as her partner to her new neighbours.

This was the final straw for the claimant, and she decided she would no longer acknowledge Gill.

His behaviour then worsened, and he became more aggressive in his act, throwing paint at her washing and launching eggs at her front door.

The hearing was held at Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Supplied)

On May 7, 2022, police received a called from a concerned neighbour who had spotted Gill in the bushes nearby the victims flat.

“He was focusing on the block of flats across the road from them. He had been seen looking into the window of the flat and the caller was concerned for the person who lived there’s welfare,” Ms Moore explained.

When the police approached Gill and asked him what he was doing he replied that he ‘wanted to find a calm place and was intending on harming himself’.

Ms Moore detailed how CCTV footage captured the defendant ‘lurking and spying on his victim’ at night more than ten times between the months of April to May last year.

In a victim statement read out to the court, she said: “I would never have thought I would have to go through something like this.

“He has left scars that will never be healed. Someone I tried to help.

“I am forever looking behind me, thinking something is going to happen to me. It has made me unable to function in my everyday life.

“We cover the windows with film and keep them locked at all times. I have lost most of my friends as they are scared to come near me in case they become Ben’s next victim.

“In the past Ben has warned me that he knows some dangerous people.”

“My brother lives in fear of my safety as Ben would tell him he is going to come after me and my daughter.”

Defending, Mr Christie said: “He went from being a person who played football with friends regularly to doing something like this. He is remorseful and wants to change.”

Gill appeared before Liverpool Crown Court last Friday facing charges of a breach of a non-molestation order, stalking and possession of a bladed article.

The Judge summarised the events, she said: “It is clear that you repeatedly went to the victim’s address, often in the night.

“In one incident, police attended in the early hours and police dogs found you hiding in bushes.

“You told the police that you had a knife as you knew that your ex lived in the area and you wanted to kill yourself near her.”

“The victim and her daughter fear for there lives. It is truly terrifying behaviour.

“There is a high degree of planning, attending in the night, the balaclava and taping your clothing.”

Gill, of Gerrard Avenue, was handed a sentence of two years and six months with a one year and six-month sentence running concurrently for the breach of the non-molestation order and the possession of the bladed article.

A ten-year restraining order was also placed on the defendant to not contact or go near the address of his victim.