Parcel Force: Angry Woman Attacked Neighbour During Box Row

Box Row: Natalie Campbell

The owner of a Kensington apartment tried to throw her female neighbour down the front steps of their multi-million pound building because she left a box outside.

Natalie Campbell, 52, is the absent owner of the £1.9m maisonette in the Kensington Palace Conservation Area and claimed the UPS package was on her property. 

She rents the apartment for approximately £6,000 a month, but pays no service charges, to the despair of other residents.

The property freeholder has instigated legal proceedings to force her to forfeit her lease and neighbours have leafleted tenants and local estate agents to highlight her illegal sub-let.

She was convicted of assaulting 46 year-old Georgia Wagner, who lives in a £1.5m upstairs flat, after she put out a UPS box for pick-up in front of the building.

There is ill-feeling between the pair after Ms Wagner involved herself in the leafleting campaign and signed an affidavit supporting the freeholder’s legal case, which has lasted twenty years. 

“She launched at me as soon as she saw me and said something like: ‘I’ve had it with all of you leaving stuff on my property.’

“As she was screaming at me she started pounding,” explained photoshoot project manager Ms Wagner at Hammersmith Magistrates Court yesterday.

“She certainly hit me, but I put my hands in front of me so she hit my hands.

“I got scared and tried to stop her throwing me out of the building. she tried to pull me out.

Dispute: Kensington Address

“She was pounding on me and at the same time trying to pull me down the stairs.

Ms Wagner cowered in a corner as the attack continued. “I just said: ‘Please stop Natalie’ I didn’t hit back.

“I then screamed for help and when my neighbour came down Natalie let go of me and disappeared into her flat.

“I was totally shaking, just trembling,” added Ms Wagner, who suffered a small cut to her hand, which became infected and took five weeks to heal.

Prosecutor Miss Sharon Michaels told the court: “The defendant seemed quite upset about where the box was placed and started shouting at her.

“She was pounding on her and trying to pull her down the stairs and a neighbour saw her with her hands up defending herself and Campbell over her with her arms raised, hitting her.

“There is a great deal of animosity between both sides and the defendant sees red.

“The boxes belong to someone who, in her eyes, is part of the conspiracy against her.” 

Ms Wagner confirmed the neighbours were upset by a compulsory £3,500 service charge imposed to finance the freeholder’s legal fight with Campbell.

“He (the freeholder) now wants to charge us and we said: ‘This isn’t right.’ She does not live in the building, she lets out her flat.

“He’s trying to get service charges she owes.

“It took five years last time to get Natalie to pay for the outside of the building and in that time it decayed.”

Campbell says the neighbours have directed “animosity” and “anger” towards her, claiming Ms Wagner once said: “It’s four versus one. This is war.”

Miss Wagner strongly denies ever uttering the threat or pushing Campbell first during the confrontation. “That’s ludicrous, absolutely ridiculous,” she told the court.

Campbell, of

Windsor Court, Moscow Road, Bayswater said of her neighbours: “They are all friends of the freeholder.”

She claimed Ms Wagner had left four large boxes of tiles in the garden area in front of her maisonette. “The final straw was the boxes, yes.

“It’s my garden and I did say: ‘Get out and move those boxes.’

“I was in her way, but I wasn’t doing it deliberately and she pushed me out of the way.”

Campbell maintains it is legal to sub-let the two-bed, which she bought for £120,000 in 1993, and provides her only income as she tries to pay-off debts of £50,000.

She was conditionally discharged for twelve months and ordered to pay £50 compensation to Ms Wagner, £500 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Afterwards Ms Wagner said: “I thought I was going to be thrown down the stairs, they are stone stairs.

“I was really shaken up and scared for two weeks. She has a key to the building and is a person who knows where I am.

“I was aware being chucked down the stairs was not going to be a pleasant experience and three months earlier she was screaming at me because in her mind we’ve conspired against her.

“We felt quite outraged that we pay our service charges and she doesn’t and makes quite a lot of money renting her flat and us paying her court fees on top is a little bit much. That’s taking the Mickey.”

Scratchcard Jackpot Winner Jailed For Attacking Wife

Luck Runs Out: Malhotra

A lottery scratchcard jackpot winner, who received a £70,000 prize alongside his wife, was caged for six months yesterday for battering and throttling her.

Balvinder Malhotra, 30, punched 28 year-old Hardeep Kaur in the face three times before grabbing her throat at their west London home.

A few months earlier he had been photographed with the mum-of-one popping a bottle of champagne, proclaiming: “Looks like 2016 is going to be a great year for our little family.”

The off-licence worker, who now lives with his parents in Bedfont Close, Feltham, denied, but was convicted of assaulting Hardeep, causing her actual bodily harm, on June 6.

He was also convicted of assaulting a five year-old boy - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - during the violent row at the couple’s home in Harlech Gardens, Hounslow.

District Judge Debbie Wright said: “It’s a significant ABH with significant injury. You can see the injuries to her when she was trying to get him off her when he was trying to strangle her.

“This crosses the custody threshold by a mile.”

Uxbridge Magistrates Court was shown photos of Hardeep’s marked and swollen face as well as scratches to her neck.

“This was a very serious incident and you were clearly under the influence of alcohol. You have a very significant drink problem,” the judge told Malhotra.

“You assaulted your wife in the most dreadful way. It was a sustained attack.

Champagne Celebration: With Wife Hardeep

“You punched her and strangled her and she had to injure you to get away.”

The defendant received several scratch marks on his arms as his wife tried to prevent him throttling her.

“It was a dreadful incident for her to endure and the boy to witness and the psychological harm to him will be high and he was vulnerable.”

Prosecutor Miss Sally Peters told the court: “The police were called by Hardeep, who said she had been punched by her husband.

“When the police arrived the complainant’s aunt and uncle were on the scene trying to persuade her not to talk to the officers and sort it out themselves.”

“Hardeep said they were out for a picnic earlier in the day and during the journey home they argued in the car.

“When they got home the defendant forced his way into the bedroom, where his wife was, had grabbed her mobile phone. 

“He punched her in the face three times, causing her nose to bleed.

“In the kitchen he put his hands around her neck and that only stops when the child intervenes.

Flash: Malhotra's Merc 

“Mr. Malhotra then struck the five year-old to the side of the face, which left no mark.

“Hardeep had some scratches on her neck and he had scratches on his hands.

“The five year-old was not injured.”

The court heard Malhotra has convictions for fraud and was cautioned by police in 2013 after admitting giving his mother a bloody nose.

Malhotra’s lawyer Mr. Adrian Lee said: “This is his first conviction for assault.

“He has Type Two diabetes, high cholesterol and asthma and keeping his drinking under control is a necessity because the condition stems from his condition.

“He is a frequent drinker of three to four cans of lager a day, plus bottles of wine. This offence stems from his alcohol abuse.

“He expresses remorse, embarrassment and shame and has not seen his wife for six months.

“He will not have a relationship with his family if he doesn’t get his drinking under control.

“He says this is completely out of character when he is not touching alcohol and he want to prove he can rehabilitate.”

The court heard Malhotra has £87,000 in the bank and earmarked his lottery win for a new business venture, bouncing back from bankruptcy in 2011.

He drives a 3-litre BMW with a personalised number plated.

Malhotra was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to each of the two victims, plus £650 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Judge Wright told a clearly shocked Malhotra: “You’ve clearly got the means to pay.

“He’s got a considerable amount in the bank hasn’t he? He had a lottery win.”

Agitated Bus Passenger Smashed Window: CCTV Released

Officers at Heathrow Airport are appealing to the public for help to identify a bus passenger who smashed a window.

Police were called at approximately 3.30pm on Friday, March 25 to reports of a disturbance on a Route 285 bus that was travelling from Heathrow Central Bus Station to Kingston-upon-Thames.

During the disturbance, a window was smashed.

When the driver stopped the bus, the suspect left prior to police arrival.

The man is described as white, aged in his mid-twenties, 6ft 2ins tall, of slim build with dark cropped receding hair.

He was wearing dark coloured clothing, including a black jacket and sunglasses.

The man had boarded the bus on Bath Road, close to the junction with Nene Road in Hillingdon. He got off at Envoy Avenue.

He had previously mentioned to someone that he was going to Bedfont but did not appear to know the area.

Detective Constable Lorraine Davies, said: "We are appealing for help to identify this man after he broke a window in front of other passengers.

“It is important that we speak with him and I would urge anyone who recognises him to contact police."

Anyone who recognises the man is asked to contact the investigative team on 020 3276 1352 or via 101.

Wannabe Rapist Targeted 13 Year-Old Girl: E-Fit Released

Detectives investigating the attempted rape of a 13-year old schoolgirl have released this e-fit of the suspect in the hope that someone will identify him.

Officers from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command launched an investigation on Wednesday, June 8 after a man approached the girl at about 8.20am in Highbury and placed his hand over her mouth.

The suspect forced her into Coach House Lane where he assaulted her before a member of the public interrupted and confronted him, causing him to leave the scene.

The suspect then approached a teenage boy who was riding a bike and took the cycle from him.

He rode it a short distance along Highbury Hill before abandoning the bike and making off on foot.

Police attended the scene and conducted a search, however the suspect could not be found and nor could the teenage cyclist.

Despite numerous enquires neither the suspect nor the teenager have been identified.

Detective Constable Ben Lucas, of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "Our investigation is progressing well and we have already spoken to a number of witnesses who have come forward to provide information; I would thank them for their assistance so far.

“However, we are still keen to trace the teenage male cyclist as he would have got a very clear view of the suspect and could provide us with vital information.

"With the help of another witness we have created an e-fit of the suspect. We hope this will help identify him and I would urge anyone who recognises the e-fit image to contact police as soon as possible.

"We continue to provide support to the very young victim and her family. This was a terrifying ordeal that took place in daylight as she walked to school and I am keen to identify and arrest the suspect as soon as possible."

The suspect is described as a white man, about 6ft tall and of muscular build. He had black and grey hair.

Anyone with information about either the suspect or the teenager on the bike is asked to call 101 or to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Farmer Headbutted Fellow Chelsea Nightclubber On Dancefloor

Dancefloor Headbutt: Britten 

A young Norfolk farmer broke another reveller’s nose with a dance floor head butt, leaving the victim “spitting blood”, a court heard today.

After a day enjoying the England v New Zealand test match at Lord’s Mitchell Britten, 24, went to the Cuban-themed Embargo Republica club.

During the early hours of May 25, last year at the King’s Road, Chelsea, nightspot he head butted the 27 year-old VIP guest he says got aggressive with him.

Britten, of Cavick House Farm, Cavick Road, Wymondham  has pleaded not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to wounding Neil Brotherston, inflicting grievous bodily harm, and a lesser charge of causing actual bodily harm.

Mr. Brotherston, who had been drinking since 6pm, and was consuming vodka in the club told the jury: “My recollection is leaving the VIP table area, walking across the club to the bar area, to the toilet and being head butted.

“The next memory is being in a state of shock with bouncers. My nose was bleeding pretty heavily and was not straight so I presumed I’d broken my nose.

“I saw myself in the mirror of the staircase and how bloody my nose was and on my shirt. There was blood everywhere.”

He got a taxi home at 2.10am and his doctor mother told him to go to hospital.

“I had to have my nose re-straightened under anaesthetic. There is still a bump down the right hand side.”

VIP: Neil Brotherston

Prosecutor Mr. Alex Wright told the jury Britten, who claims self-defence, was found by police via the club’s records and questioned at Notting Hill Police Station on July 22.

“He said that he bumped into a guy on the dance floor, put his hand up to say sorry and the man pushed back and came into his space.

“He said he could not push or punch the man and put his head down towards him.”

As a result Britten told police the man “began spitting blood” and he informed the club staff.

Britten appeared in court wearing his trademark country-style green hacking jacket.

Cavick House Farm described itself as a working farm that has been in the same family since the 1970’s

It boasts 16,000 free range hens on the two-acre site, with a specially-planted woodland and grassland to produce the best eggs

The farm is registered Lion Code Quality and with UK Egg Packers and is part of the environmental Natural England Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.

It has a caravan site, a self-service egg shed and a farm cafe, gift shop calledThe Hen House and a pop-up lamb shop.

Britten runs a pedigree Charollais flock of sheep alongside his commercial Lleyns flock and encourages visitors to view the livestock.

He is due to give evidence tomorrow.

Trial continues………….

TK Maxx: Changing-Rooms Voyeur Claimed He Was Cleaning Skirting Boards

Peek-A-Boo: Mittica

A TK Maxx store employee caught filming a female customer under the changing rooms divider claims he was on his hands and knees cleaning skirting boards.

The customer, an attractive brunette in her early twenties who was trying on yoga pants, spotted 45 year-old Vincenzo Mittica’s hand, clasping his mobile phone, emerge from under the partition.

“I was on my own in a changing room and had no idea of his intentions. I was scared,” she sobbed at Wimbledon Magistrates Court, where she gave evidence from behind a screen.

“I don’t believe it was a misunderstanding,” she added, rejecting the defendant’s claim he was simply checking his phone.

Italian Mittica, of Darwin Road, Ealing was convicted of attempted voyeurism for the purpose of sexual gratification on July 31, last year at the Kew Retail Centre, Richmond-upon-Thames.

He was placed on a three-month supervision order and must pay the woman £200 compensation and £420 costs as well as an £85 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Mr. Bhavin Patel told the court it was 11am and the victim was shopping with her boyfriend’s mother for gym clothes and took two pairs of yoga pants and a third item to the changing room.

“She saw Mr. Mittica crouched down by the entrance and realised he was the cleaner. He looked up and carried on cleaning.

“She was concerned there was no female attendant then heard a lady’s voice.

“The complainant went inside, where there were two empty changing rooms and the cleaner was now inside and he made eye contact with her.

“She went to the furthest cubicle and began to undress and took off her trousers to try on the yoga pants.

“She heard someone come into the stall next to her and when she looked down saw  shadow.

“In the gap at the bottom of the partition she realised there was a smart phone being held up, with the screen facing up and light coming from it.

“It was titled at a thirty degree angle towards her and at times a part of the phone was on her side of the partition.

“She bent down to see what was on the screen and the phone moved out of sight and she heard someone leave the changing room.

“She looked out and saw the cleaner walking down the corridor away from her.”

The store manager was informed by the young woman who then called the police when she got home.

Mittica was arrested and questioned a month later. “He said he was ordered to clean the skirting boards in the changing rooms.

“He was on his hands and knees when his phone made a noise and he took it out to look at it.

“He said he was not filming, but understood why someone would think that.”

Mr. Patel rejected this account and added: “He was not checking the phone, but using it to take photos of her in a state of undress.

“He was aware of where she is and it is unbelievable that he goes into the next cubicle to clean at that point in time.

‘When the complainant sees what is happening he leaves and does not go to another cubicle to continue cleaning.

“Stating that he was cleaning skirting boards is not a true account.”

"Old Hand" Went On Boozy Wrecking Spree During Optician's Row

"Old Hand": Parkinson

An OAP, who downed half a bottle of spirits before wrecking an optician’s during an alcohol-fuelled dispute, was told by a judge he is an “old hand” at playing the system.

Alan Parkinson, 68, of The Beeches, London Road, Mitcham, insisted he was due a discount on his recent purchase and threatened: "I'll destroy your shop."

However, Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court Judge Tim Lamb QC did not buy the pensioner’s claim he was the sole carer for his wife, meaning a prison term would impact her as well.

“He’s an old hand, he’s got convictions for fraud, he’s been in prison. He knows his way around the system,” said the judge last week.

“Probation have their doubts, I have my doubts about you and I’m making no promises whatsoever,” he told Parkinson. “You could still be going straight inside.” 

He pleaded guilty to causing an affray at John Lewis Opticians, 261 London Road, Mitcham on February 27 and causing £10,000 worth of criminal damage to display cabinets, spectacles and a computer.

Parkinson was a regular customer and entered the opticians at 10am.

He wanted a refund for some glasses and was not happy and said his daughter told him he had paid too much.

Parkinson, who has 243 offences on his record, was told there was no discount due because the frames and lenses had been bought at different times.

The store manager Zaid Shoaib and the consultant refused to budge, causing Parkinson further irritation.

"He was huffing and puffing and his eyes were bulging," said prosecutor Mr. Paul Adams during a previous hearing. "He said: 'I know what I'll do, I'll destroy your shop.'

"He left but returned ten minutes later and said: 'Last chance. Are you going to give me a refund?'

"He picked up a chair and swung it around the store, destroying property including a glass cabinet, which shattered.

"He threw the chair in the direction of Mr. Shoaib and it missed.

"He picked up a glasses tray and threw it and then picked up a computer screen and smashed it."

As he left the scene of destruction Parkinson turned and warned the two men: "You don't know me."

Last week prosecutor Mr. Colin Banham told the court: “He was clearly intoxicated and staggering and was smelling strongly of alcohol.”

Parkinson told police when quizzed: “My head had changed. I went from mellow to feeling hot, my stomach felt hot.”

“He said that he ‘just lost it’ and was sorry about what happened,” added the prosecutor.”

Parkinson’s lawyer Mr. Ben Holt said: “He says there was provocation towards him and homophobic insults.

“He’s incredibly concerned about the prospect of a custodial sentence regarding his responsibilities.

“He has a wife to whom he’s a responsible carer.”

Parkinson claims a serious car crash forty years ago left her brain-damaged.

He was bailed until next month for sentencing.

Triple World Champion Olympic Rower Banned For Drink-Driving

Three-time world rowing champion and double Olympic medalist Alex Partridge was banned from driving yesterday after a short night time police chase while over the drink-drive limit.

The six-foot four 35 year-old had just attended a rowing event when he overtook the officers in his black Audi A4 in Hammersmith at 9pm.

He was dragged out of his vehicle, handcuffed and spent the rest of the evening locked-up in police cells.

The former public schoolboy, who has just bought £800,000 Coombe Cottage, Old Bix Road, Lower Essendon, Henley-on-Thames was disqualified for twelve months.

He was also fined £820, with £85 costs and ordered to pay an £82 victim surcharge.

He pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to driving in Talgarth Road on October 18 with 56 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. 

The legal limit is 35.

Partridge won three world championships in Coxless Four’s in 2005, 2006 and 2009 and clinched an Olympic bronze in Beijing in 2008 and silver at London 2012 in the Eight’s.

He also won two other bronzes and a silver at the world championships.

Following his final world title he was named rowing’s ‘Olympic Athlete of the Year’ and is a member of Leander rowing club, one of the oldest in the world, having been founded near Henley-on-Thames in 1818.

Fellow members include multiple Olympic and world rowing champions Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell, plus actor Hugh Laurie.

Prosecutor Miss Katie Bryan told the court: “The officers on patrol were overtaken by a vehicle at high speed and gave chase, using flashing lights and tones, but the driver refused to stop.

“The vehicle did stop at the next traffic light and the driver could not account for why he did not stop, saying he always drove that way.

“He smelled of alcohol,” she added, explaining first-time offender Partridge was arrested after failing a roadside test.

His lawyer Mr. Benjamin Waidhofer said: “There are individuals of good character, there are individuals of positive character and then there are individuals like Mr. Partridge.

“One of the few people who makes a real difference to this country.

“That night he was attending a rowing-related event.

“It can only be described as a gross error of judgement that night that at the conclusion of the event he got into his car and drove.

“There was no swerving and although the police officers say he drove fast he stops at the red light and speaks to the officers.

“He was removed from the vehicle forcefully, handcuffed and placed in  the cell for holding.

“This has been a salutary lesson. At the time he was juggling professional commitments.

“He works up and down the country, uses his car for driving and the disqualification effect on him career-wise is yet to be determined.

“It is an early guilty plea, there are a number of individuals that support him. That’s unusual in criminal cases.

“You can see the effect this has had on him and the distress it has caused.

“He continues to be involved in youth development within rowing. Still very much involved in the grass roots of the sport.”

The magistrate told Partridge, who wore a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and red stripes tie: “It’s a serious offence and it does put the public at risk.”

He attended £30,000-a year Monkton Combe, a private boarding school in Bath and attended Oxford Brookes University.

Partridge now works in Reading in the world of financial services as a sales account manager for Invesco Perpetual.

He is a graduate of Henley business school and a former senior associate with global professional services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ex-Scout Master Accused Of Molesting Four Young Boys In The 70's

An ex-scout master molested four young boys during camping trips, swimming lessons and visits to his garden workshop four decades ago, a jury were told.

Terry Figg, 67, of Cook Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire preyed on the boys, including two brothers, all aged between ten and fourteen years-old throughout the 1970’s, the court heard.

They were all members of Crofton Oak scout group, based in Orpington, south-east London and it was a BBC documentary concerning abuse within the youth organisation that prompted the complaints against Figg.

He has pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court to fourteen counts of indecently assaulting the boys between April 29, 1970 and December 2, 1980.

Prosecutor Mr. William Eagleton said: “They all took place in either the workshop behind Mr. Figg’s house, where he’d rigged-up a bed and a television, or on camping trips or when swimming in Swanley.”

The first complainant enjoyed working on cars and motorbikes and says he was first groped between the legs in Figg’s workshop.

“Mr. Figg came up behind him and fondled him over his clothing and showed him pornographic pictures.”

The boy was similarly fondled between the legs on  camping trip. “He remembers Mr. Figg reaching down into his sleeping bag and feeling him.”

The jury were told the abuse escalated back at the workshop with Figg encouraging the boy to lie on top of him on the bed as he performed a sex act on the youngster.

“In the swimming pool he remembers Mr. Figg taking hold of him and fondling him over his swimming trunks.”

The complainant reported Figg to The Scout Association in 2009, but it was only after two others reported the defendant following the 2014 documentary that he was contacted by police.

The second complainant claims Figg first molested him during swimming lessons. “He remembers the defendant cupping his genitals and on getting out of the pool pushing his bottom.

“He remembers being shown pornographic pictures and remembers Mr. Figg exposing himself to him.”

The prosecutor said Figg also repeatedly performed a sex act on the boy in the workshop. “That went on for a year or more.”

The third complainant was an off-road vehicle enthusiast. “They would go to trialling events all over the country,” explained Mr. Eagleton.

“Once when camping he woke during the night and Mr. Figg had reached down his sleeping bag and was touching him.”

The jury were told the boy was similarly abused like the others in the workshop as was the fourth complainant.

Figg is also said to have groped him between the legs during a swimming trip.

Figg maintains none of the events occurred and the trial is expected to last two weeks.

Trial continues………….

Finance Boss Of Global Events Company Accused Of Swindling Over Half A Million

The financial controller of a global event management agency, accused of swindling the company out of over half a million pounds, appeared in court for the first time today.

Gwenda Hussey, 53, of Ty Mawr, Llanellen, Abergavenny started off as a book keeper at Q2Q Communications, based at Westminster House, Kew Road, Richmond-upon-Thames.

She appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position between May 1, 2010 and November 30, last year with intent to make a gain, namely £544,040.81.

Hussey did not indicate a plea and the magistrates declined jurisdiction, bailing her to appear at Kington-upon-Thames Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on November 29.

NOT GUILTY: Man Installed Secret Camera Over Fears Of Female Flatmate's Oz Move

Innocent: Dean Horn

A flatmate who installed a secret camera in his female sharers bedroom was cleared of voyeurism today because he did not do it for sexual kicks.

Dean Horn, 37, of Cherry Way, Hatfield had no sexual motive, but installed the device because he feared the woman – who snubbed his advances - was emigrating and wanted more info about her plans.

He was found not guilty of one count of voyeurism between May 14 and 16 at the property in Elderfield Place, Tooting in that he installed equipment, with the intention of obtaining sexual gratification by observing another person doing a private act, knowing they did not consent.

Horn provided medical evidence that assisted his case and convinced the court he had genuine deep-rooted fears about her moving away.

The woman did not have to attend the Wimbledon Magistrates Court trial and in a statement confirmed she moved into the address in February, 2014 and knew Horn from her time in Devon.

She was alone in the flat on May 14 and reached for a shoebox on a shelf in her bedroom.

“I saw a small rectangular object pointing directly at my bed. I realised it was a camera and switched it off,” she told police.

The device had a USB socket and the logo had been blacked-out.

She took it to a friend's house and one of the files contained a five to six second clip of her sleeping in bed.

The woman received a text from Horn, who wrote: “I'm sorry. This Australia thing got into my head.

“I got so paranoid you were moving out I went mental. I know I can't repair trust or our friendship after this.”

The woman reported Horn to police, telling them he asked her out on a date a month after she moved in and after declining there was: “awkwardness for a couple of weeks.”

She stated: “It's unlikely I'm going to share a flat with a male again.”

Horn's lawyer Mr. Christopher Pulman said: “The recording device was there to record a conversation rather than images.

“Rather odd decision-making took place to install this device. He has had counselling since and he admits he was behaving rather strangely.


“He felt unable to talk to his room mate about her leaving so sought to record her conversation.

“The defendant gave a full account in interview.”

Prosecutor Miss Jackie Hughes previously told the court: “On May the fourteenth, the victim, a tenant at the same place at 2pm found a black recording device in the corner of her room, pointed at her bed.

“She took it away to be analysed and one of the videos was of her sleeping in bed.”