CLIFFORD MORGAN AND HIS HORRIFIC STALKING IN CORNWALL
A disturbing case of stalking and harassment has led to the imprisonment of Clifford Morgan, age 33, in connection with his terrifying actions towards his neighbor in Cornwall.Morgan's relentless and frightening behavior included invasive staring, verbal misconduct, and a disturbing display of public indecent exposure, culminating in a sequence of events that left his victim deeply traumatised.
Morgan, who resides in Penzance, was brought before Truro Crown Court to face sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of stalking.
The case revealed a troubling history of on-and-off interactions between Morgan and the victim, who had been living next door for approximately ten years.
Up until 2019, the victim, who was residing with her partner and four children, had not experienced any major issues with Morgan, although she found his mannerisms to be somewhat odd.
The properties of the victim and Morgan were separated by a chain-link fence, which for a time seemed to provide a boundary, and the situation appeared manageable.
However, by May 2019, the situation took a concerning turn.
According to prosecutor Tom Bradnock, Morgan began to engage in increasingly invasive behaviors.
He was observed staring at the victim openly, sometimes through her open back door or hidden behind towels hanging on her washing line.
This persistent staring pattern escalated to an incident in the evening when the victim was in her garden around 9:15 pm.
She saw Morgan deliberately watching her from a distance, causing her to feel threatened.
When she attempted to retreat indoors, Morgan followed her, standing at his open doorway and then stepping forward, while maintaining eye contact.
During this unsettling encounter, Morgan was heard to mouth ambiguous phrases that sounded like either “f*ck me,” “lick me,” or “rape me,” though the victim was unable to be certain of his exact words.
The victim felt fear and insult, and she promptly called the police.
Despite her report, police investigations at that time did not proceed further due to insufficient evidence.
Seeking to safeguard herself and her family, the victim and her partner responded by erecting a tall, six-foot fence to serve as a physical barrier, effectively blocking Morgan’s view into their garden.
This measure appeared to reduce incidents for several months.
Nonetheless, trouble resumed in January 2020.
The victim reported seeing Morgan in his garden on multiple occasions, either watching her or wandering around holding tools such as knives, pliers, and hammers, which further heightened her alarm.
A particularly distressing episode occurred on January 30, 2020, when the victim was on her way to the shop accompanied by her youngest son.
As she approached Morgan’s front window, she noticed his net curtains being pulled back.
Morgan then appeared to scream and foam at the mouth from behind the glass, displaying signs of erratic and disturbed behavior.
The very next day, the victim and her partner noticed Morgan standing on his front porch, staring at them as they left their home.
In a frightening display, when the victim returned to her residence and exited her car with her two-year-old son, she observed Morgan standing in his doorway wearing goggles.
Upon noticing her gaze, Morgan exposed his erect penis and engaged in masturbation while staring directly at her—an act of public indecency that compounded her trauma.
Further incidents involved Morgan staring at her through a gap in the fence, this time donning a Star Wars or Halloween mask.
When police responded to the scene at Morgan’s property, they recovered a collection of threatening and offensive items, including a baseball bat, a hammer, several knives, multiple masks, goggles, and a balaclava.
The victim described the impact of Morgan’s behavior in a statement, expressing feelings of violation and intense anxiety.
She conveyed that her ordeal made her feel physically repulsed and deeply unsafe, leading her to relocate her family to escape the harassment.
During sentencing, Morgan’s mental health was a significant factor.
It was disclosed that Morgan suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and has a prior record of sexual offending.
The court was told that when medicated, Morgan poses little threat to society.
His escalating conduct was attributed to a decline in his mental health rather than malicious intent.
Judge Robert Linford emphasized the severity of the victim’s suffering, stating, “The victim in this case was terrified in her own home and scared to leave in case she encountered you.
Your behavior caused her extreme anxiety.
She was terrified to the extent that she had to leave.” He described Morgan’s pattern of behavior as “extremely serious” and confirmed that his mental health issues warranted a hospital order.
Consequently, Morgan will be transferred from prison to a hospital for treatment.
Additionally, a 25-year restraining order was imposed to protect the victim and her partner from any future contact or harassment.
