GOPI KRISHNA CHAITANGYA SRI RAMOJU

A husband turned stalker terrified his wife on a daily basis after their arranged marriage broke up, York magistrates heard.

Gopi Krishna Chaitangya Sri Ramoju, 32, stood outside the York convenience store and post office where she worked on a daily basis staring at her, said Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting.

“She was scared to leave the shop and go home.

She didn’t know what he would do, whether he was waiting for her to try and approach her and potentially assault her as a result of the way he was behaving,” said the prosecutor.

The wife has started divorce proceedings after a domestic incident which led to the husband’s arrest and the couple splitting up.

Ms Tyrer said the couple had not known each other before their arranged marriage in February 2022.

Defence solicitor Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks said according to Ramoju the marriage was a “love match” and not an arranged marriage, and he had struggled when the marriage broke up.

The 32-year-old husband, who now lives in Boroughbridge Road, Acomb, and who previously lived in Selby, denied stalking his wife and claimed at trial the shop was on his route from his bus stop to his place of work.

Magistrates, having heard from Ramoju and his wife, convicted him and said the shop was not on the direct route between bus stop and place of work.

Ramoju was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitative activities, and was given a 12-month restraining order banning him from going to his wife’s address or workplace and from contacting her other than responding to divorce court papers.

He must also pay £600 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.

Ms Tyrer said the couple arrived in the UK on student visas and had a place at the University of York.

In addition to their studies both worked at a pizza house and the wife worked at the convenience store.

But they had difficulty managing financially because of the costs of their wedding and student debt.

The domestic incident that led to the couple splitting up was in June 2024.

Ramoju was not prosecuted over it.

From October 2024 onwards, the wife noticed Ramoju’s car going past the shop where she worked at the same time each day and then in the 25 days leading up to February 1, she saw him standing outside the shop looking at it while she stood by the till.

She finally went to police and Ramoju was arrested and charged with stalking.

Ms Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks said: “He has been devastated by the fact he has been prosecuted.” Ramoju had no previous convictions.

He was now being supported by relatives and intended to return to India after completing his punishment.

There was no possibility that the couple would be reconciled.

But for the court case, he would already have returned to India after getting his masters degree.