Church Volunteer's "Obsession" With 'Vera the Diva' Dance Teacher

"Obsession": Thomas

A reverend’s assistant “developed an obsession” with a celebrated dance teacher who instructs Latin and ballroom at his church, a court heard.

For nearly two years Trevor Thomas, 51, harassed 48 year-old ‘Vera the Diva’ founder Edurne Goldaracena, who teaches in Covent Garden and Clapham Common.

The former London Transport diesel engineer volunteered at Clapham Methodist Church, where three times a week Spanish-born Ms Goldaracena held classes in the community centre.

He expressed his attraction to her and constantly interrupted her classes by ringing an entry bell and demanding admittance and also followed her from a local McDonald’s and at the nearby tube station.

Prosecutor Ms Sarah Kerslake told Croydon Magistrates Court yesterday: “This was a really very serious incident of harassment spread over nearly two years.

“By the end of 2016 he developed an obsession and was fixated by Ms Goldaracena and was constantly disturbing her classes and ringing at her door.

“Her pupils would open the door for her because she was so nervous he was on the other side and he became very persistent.”

On September 20, last year Thomas demanded she sign a bundle of documents, but so anxious was Ms Goldaracena she told him to shove them under the door.

“They made no sense and included pictures of celebrities and she noticed the paperwork smelled of men’s aftershave,” added Ms Kerslake.

Once Thomas forced a matchstick into the bell to ensure it continually rang.

“He became cross that she wasn’t answering to him and letting him into her class and she was becoming very uncomfortable.

“He made it clear he was sexually attracted to her, telling her she was beautiful and complemented her figure.”

"Shadow Over Me": Goldaracena

On December 8, last year Ms Goldaracena spotted Thomas on the platform of Clapham Common Underground Station.

“She felt trapped and worried about getting on a train in case he followed her. She turned around and his face was very close to her’s, a foot away and he was leaning towards her and smiling.

“She says she felt frozen and had no way out.”

Afterwards Ms Goldaracena told police: “I am desperate with this. It is like a shadow over me all the time and I am not relaxed at work or in the street.

“When I wake up this is the first thing on my mind. My mind is not free and he is not reasonable and clearly has an obsession.”

The court heard she now has other people chaperone her home from the classes out of fear of being confronted by Thomas.

His lawyer Edward McGowan said: “Mr. Thomas had been a volunteer there for almost a decade, before the dance classes. He was an assistant to the reverend of the church for many years.

“He says he was ringing the bell to gain access to the premises of the community centre to volunteer on behalf of the reverend.”

Thomas denied following Ms Goldaracena from McDonald’s and claims the tube station incident was a “coincidental meeting.”

“He is a lifelong churchgoer and considers himself a spiritual man. He loves the community and he loves the church.”

Thomas, of New Park Road, Brixton Hill, denied but was convicted of harassment between January 4, 2017 and December 9, last year.

He received twenty weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours community service work and 30 days of rehab.

Thomas was made subject to an indefinite restraining order prohibiting attendance at the church and contact with Ms Goldaracena, who he must pay £150 compensation, plus £250 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.