After a campaign of harassment against multiple victims, Alex Belfield was jailed last week. The former BBC radio presenter, of Mapperley, can be seen smirking in his police mugshot after targeting former colleagues, a well-known celebrity, and two other men online.
Belfield had previously objected to this hateful conduct, but, following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, he was convicted of four counts of stalking. Two of which included causing alarm and distress.
On Friday, 16 September, Belfield, was jailed for five years and 26 weeks. Over the four week trial, the court heard how the former presenter was set about undermining the career of a former colleague with hurtful and untrue comments Belfield directed via email, social media and via his YouTube channel, following a series of workplace disputes.
Read More: 'Teenager hurt' in Mansfield Road collision
Belfield would often copy in their more senior colleagues, leading them to experience considerable anxiety. The 42-year-old Belfield represented himself during the trial but declined to give evidence in his defence.
Belfield, who previously presented a show for BBC Radio Leeds, was labelled “the Jimmy Savile of trolling” and he subjected TV presenter Jeremy Vine to an "avalanche of hatred". Belfield was convicted of 4 charges - two were alternatives of "simple stalking".
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (September 16), Belfield was given a total of five years and 26 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half, on all four charges he was convicted of. The judge made restraining orders on the four victims.
The sentences on each charge Belfield was convicted on:
Count 5: BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - Belfield has been given two-and-half years in prison on count 5;
Count 6: Videographer Ben Hewis, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - the sentence is consecutive to the previous term for the stalking of Mr Keith. The term again is two-and-half years;
Count 7: Theatre blogger Philip Dehany, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simple stalking - Belfield received a consecutive sentence of 13 weeks.
Count 8: Jeremy Vine, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simply stalking - Belfield has been sentenced to 13 weeks consecutively for stalking Mr Vine.
Detective Constable Janet Percival, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “People often associate stalking with physical actions, such as following or harassing somebody in the street. However, as this case makes clear, stalking can also take other more invasive forms. It can also cross into the digital realm, where emails, social media messages and videos are used as tools to relentlessly harass and intimidate victims.
“This is what Belfield did again and again to multiple people over many years. Everyone has a right to an opinion and a right to express that opinion forcefully if they wish, but our case has always been that what Belfield was doing went way beyond that."
She added: "He very deliberately set out to make other people’s lives a misery – causing them very genuine fear, alarm and distress. I am pleased that he has now been held accountable for this actions and hope that this verdict serves as a warning to others who think they can behave in this way without consequence.
“This case involved a very large amount of evidence which documented the volume and extent of Belfield’s stalking behaviour. I am grateful to the many other officers and our partners at the Crown Prosecution Service for all the work they have put into this case.
"Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case who have shown enormous courage and dignity in coming forward to give evidence in public. I sincerely hope that Belfield learns from this experience and refrains from ever acting in this way again."
Read Next:
Dad heartbroken as son returns home with tally of bullying on his hands
Evangelos Marinakis criticised as Nottingham Forest owner 'has not helped' Steve Cooper
Carvery defends move to not offer kids meals to 'elderly' customers
Council steps in to save £36m housing scheme as Notts company ceases trading
