Heartbroken Mayfair Art Gallery Boss Slapped With Restraining Order For Stalking Ex All The Way To Australia

Perp Walk: Navratil

A heartbroken Mayfair art gallery boss, who flew 10,000 miles to Australia to continue stalking his terrified ex on a Sydney beach, will have to wear an electronic ankle tag for the next three months.

Jan Navratil, 35, shipping and bond manager at the Halcyon Gallery, admits he could not cope after the split with internet date Sophie Davis, a Cheam veterinary nurse with whom he had a six-month relationship.

The Czech-born university graduate, of Fleming Mead, Colliers Wood received a four-month community order, which includes a three-month tagged home curfew between 9pm and 6am when he appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting any contact with Sophie and was also ordered to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to stalking Sophie between February 7 and April 3.

“This is serious and we have all heard her personal statement and the effect your behaviour had on her,” District Judge Barbara Barnes told Navratil. “If you repeat this sort of behaviour you put yourself at risk of a custodial sentence.”

Australian-born Sophie moved in with Navratil while recovering from an operation, but reported him to the police for taking her passport and moved into Wimbledon’s Antoinette Hotel.

“Four hours later she started receiving messages that he was going to kill himself and received a picture of the hotel from the defendant saying he wanted to be close to her,” explained prosecutor Miss Dami Eniola.

“She received multiple messages throughout the night and he later sent a picture of himself wearing her clothing.”

Navratil says this was simply a unisex t-shirt and was an item of clothing they shared when living together.

“When she attended a medical appointment near Buckingham Palace she received a picture of the building and a message from the defendant saying: ‘I feel close to you.’

Pre-Split: Jan & Sophie

“She said she felt he was following her that day and later when travelling to Australia he was waiting for her, wearing a backpack, when she left the ladies toilet at the airport.”

The couple had booked the Oz trip - travelling a week apart - when they were together, but Sophie had split with Navratil by now and even if he decided to fly Down Under his flight was to Melbourne.

“On the second of March she went to the beach in Sydney and saw the defendant waking along the path towards her. She confronted him, but he pretended he did not see her,” added Miss Eniola.

She was hospitalised while in Australia, where she was also communicating with another man, and received Facebook messages from Navratil. “He had accessed her account and wrote: ‘It’s Jan. You care more about this Sam.’

“Back in the UK she received multiple messages that he wanted to be with her and on the third of April he boarded her 93 bus as she travelled to work.

“He tried to sit next to her and she shouted at him to get off the bus and he followed her downstairs and tried to sit next to her again.”

"Anxious": Sophie Davis

When she arrived at work Sophie called the police and Navratil was arrested. “He said he was distressed and could not sleep and got pills from his doctor.

“He said he missed her and was angry that she left him. He said he had seen her in Australia, but that was accidental and they spoke for thirty minutes and she gave him a hug even thought at first she was not pleased to see him.

“He said he only wanted to giver her hairdryer back on the bus and apologise, but she did not take it well. He admitted taking the passport as an excuse to see her again.

“He went into her Facebook daily to read her messages and said he was very embarrassed he did that. He said he did not want to scare her and would not contact her again.”

Sophie told police: “He took it very hard. When I was in intensive care I think he thought this shared experience brought us together.

“I tried to end the relationship in December, but felt responsible for his mental instability.

“When taking my suitcase outside he secretly took my passport to have a bargaining tool to later meet up. He repeatedly threatened  his life and said I had destroyed his.

"Look Over My Shoulder": Sophie

“My sadness turned to concern for myself, I have been anxious and have not been able to sleep properly. 

“I feel it has put me back in a dark place and it has sadly impacted my life. I’d love to move forward and not have to look over my shoulder.

“I’m sad it has come to this, but it is necessary.”

Navratil’s lawyer Miss Danielle Burns told the court: “He wants to express his remorse and apologise to Miss Davis. 

“When she went to Australia he thought he was not going to see her again and it was too tempting not to check up on what she was doing in Australia.”