GARY RIDLER OF GATESHEAD SENTENCED FOR STALKING AND WEAPONS OFFENSES IN NEWCASTLE
Gary Ridler, a resident of Whickham in Gateshead, was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to stalking his former partner and possession of a bladed weapon.The victim, a woman from Newcastle, described how Ridler's obsession turned into a terrifying campaign of harassment following their brief relationship.
Ridler, 39, had engaged in a short-lived relationship with the woman, which she ended after discovering he was on the sex offenders register.
This rejection spurred him to stalk her extensively, causing her significant fear.
During the harassment, Ridler managed to unlawfully enter her home twice and, on one occasion, arrived with a machete and a bottle of petrol, threatening her and her loved ones.
The court was told that Ridler and the woman had met in 2020 while she was working in a pub.
When she found out he was a registered sex offender, she broke off their relationship due to concerns for her children.
Ridler reacted badly, causing trouble at the pub with male customers and repeatedly contacting her through unwanted calls and messages.
Despite blocking him, he persisted in trying to contact her from a withheld number and a fake social media account.
Authorities intervened when the pub manager barred him, and police issued a ban restricting him from multiple pubs in the area.
Ridler responded by threatening harm, saying he would hurt 14 people because he had been barred from as many pubs.
In August 2021, the woman received multiple threatening texts, including threats to harm her friends and colleagues.
Prosecutor Jessica Slaughter recounted: 'There was a phone call in which he said he would give her a good hiding, and she said she would take a black eye if it meant he would leave her alone.' She added that Ridler also threatened to stab her, which she found particularly frightening.
On September 5, after finishing work, the woman noticed Ridler’s dog outside her home and grew concerned he was nearby.
She declined his offer to meet for a drink and left with a friend.
Later that night, she saw Ridler following her outside a Newcastle city centre pub and was worried.
During the early hours, he knocked on her window demanding entry, kicked her door, and managed to get inside.
The victim described the incident: 'He held his fist to her face as she was curled up on the sofa and smashed her phone.' Her teenage daughter was awakened by the disturbance and saw Ridler leaving, with her mother appearing hysterical, breathing heavily.
Ridler had threatened to kill her if she disclosed his status as a sex offender.
A few days later, on September 10, Ridler unexpectedly appeared in her living room, became aggressive, and demanded her phone.
The woman’s friend, who had been talking to her on the phone, heard her crying.
Ridler searched her phone for messages with other men, then pulled a machete from his bag, which also contained a bottle of liquid, claimed to be petrol.
He threatened to harm her, saying he would petrol bomb her house, her friends’, or her family’s homes, and that he hated her and would hurt anyone she cared about.
He used the machete to damage her phone and couch, broke the phone further, and pushed the shattered pieces into her hand before placing the phone in his bag.
Ridler also struck her foot with the machete, which was in a case.
The attack lasted about 30 minutes, during which she was terrified and instructed to look into his eyes as he threatened her further.
In her victim impact statement, she explained: 'When I was told he was a registered sex offender, I ended things because of my children, but this led him to become very frightening and to terrorize me for months.' She described feeling trapped and terrified, noting that he had even entered her house when her daughters were there.
She has since moved house and left her place of work but remains afraid of what may happen when he is released from prison.
Ridler admitted to stalking her with a fear of violence between July 1 and September 13, 2021, and possessing a bladed article.
He was sentenced to 28 months in prison and was also placed under an indefinite restraining order.
The court noted he has 12 prior convictions, including three for sexual assault that resulted in a 43-month sentence in 2016, and previous convictions for carrying weapons.
His defending solicitor, Shaun Routledge, said Ridler 'couldn't take the rejection,' despite the woman initially stating they could remain friends.
He also noted that the machete had remained in its sheath and mentioned that 'his problems appear to be alcohol-related.'
