Notts stalker broke into woman's home and stole her underwear

Zahaid Alom, previously known as Jaheed Islam, had a “short, casual relationship” with the woman in the summer of 2019, but alarmed her by following her to her home town, said prosecutor David Outterside.

When she told him the relationship was over, Alom threatened to commit suicide, and when she blocked his number and social media profiles, he bombarded her with email messages.

He set up an Instagram account to monitor her movements and, on one occasion, called her up to 20 times in one day.

She was lying in bed at 7.30pm, on March 4, when she heard a key turning in the lock.

She shouted "Who's that?" and Alom turned and fled, but he was identified on CCTV, wearing a dark hoodie and a camouflage coat.

When officers arrested him, they found half a dozen pieces of her underwear.

A Stalking Prevention Order was imposed, banning him from all contact with her, but on August 7, Alom tried to call her father. He was arrested four days later, but refused to provide the PIN number to his phone.

"She says she has been unable to think about anything else and feels her physical health has been impacted," Mr Outterside said. "She says she feels her privacy has been violated. The incident has made her paranoid and she is now a different person."

Nottingham Crown Court heard Alom has previous convictions as a youth for possessing an offensive weapon and a dwelling house burglary.

Chris Brewin, mitigating, said he was "fairly lightly convicted" and since August has been in custody, where he contracted Covid-19.

"He has become quite withdrawn during his incarceration," he said. "A lack of maturity played a part in this offending. He has had an awful lot of time to reflect on what he has done."

Alom, 26, of Pelham Street, Mansfield, pleaded guilty to stalking causing serious harm and distress, and two breaches of a Stalking Protection Order, on September 23, last year.

Recorder Charles Falk told him: "You developed an unhealthy obsession with her. Victims of stalking live in constant fear. It creates real anxiety.”

He sentenced him to 21 months on Wednesday.

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