MAN GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR STALKING EX-GIRLFRIEND
A man whose harassment caused his ex-partner to fear for her safety and move house has been handed a seven-year restraining order along with a suspended jail sentence.
Alex Gates, 34, appeared at Bristol Crown Court to admit to stalking his former girlfriend.
The court learned that their relationship, which began in 2016, saw a shift in Gates' behavior within a few months.
He, from Heathfield Close in Upper Weston, pleaded guilty to a single charge of harassment that was deemed to constitute stalking.
Court testimony detailed how Gates repeatedly visited his ex’s workplace and home, kept her under surveillance, and tried to connect with her family and friends.
He also made efforts to contact her through social media profiles under false aliases.
This pattern of behavior led to police investigations, during which Gates was charged.
A victim impact statement read aloud in court described how she regularly experiences nightmares and said Gates' actions made her environment feel constricted and frightening.
As a consequence, she moved residences, left her employment, and gave up a university placement.
The court accepted Gates’ guilty plea to one count of harassment amounting to stalking, resulting in his sentencing and the issuance of a restraining order.
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
A man whose harassment caused his ex-partner to fear for her safety and move house has been handed a seven-year restraining order along with a suspended jail sentence. Alex Gates, 34, appeared at Bristol Crown Court to admit to stalking ...
Court order
A man whose harassment caused his ex-partner to fear for her safety and move house has been handed a seven-year restraining order along with a suspended jail sentence
Court order
The court accepted Gates' guilty plea to one count of harassment amounting to stalking, resulting in his sentencing and the issuance of a restraining order