Five year sentence for 'dangerous' stalker who contacted his ex more than 450 times

Adam Meade, 29, who is currently in prison for unrelated offences, was sentenced to five years for stalking his victim. This is to be served after he completes his current sentence in May 2020.

Phone data showed that between 11 November and 22 December 2018, Meade, 29, of no fixed address, contacted his victim over 450 times from different mobile numbers.

After the victim ended their three-month relationship, Meade began re-contacting the woman with birthday greetings and managed to con her into thinking he had changed, arranging a meeting just days later.

As soon as he arrived, Meade verbally abused the victim before assaulting her and threatening to cause her further harm and damage her car.

The persistent messages continued over coming days, and when he offered to pay back money she loaned him, too afraid to say no, she agreed to a meeting.

Again Meade became angry and abusive, threatening her before withdrawing money from her account and snapping her bank card.

More unwanted phone calls and messages followed, with increasingly explicit threats to rape her, and kill her and her family.

On 29 November, after receiving four phone calls from an unknown number, the victim found Meade had damaged her car, and then repeatedly blamed her for his actions, warning her to “watch what happens”.

Meade was sentenced to five years in prison and he must serve at least two thirds of the sentence before he is eligible for parole and, due to being classified as dangerous, will have a five year extended licence upon his release.

Meade received a further 27 months for breaching a restraining order, to be served concurrent to the main sentence.

Investigating Officer, Phillip Stanton, said: “Meade’s obsessive, fixated behaviour put his victim in genuine fear for not only her own life, but for her family members.

"We know only too well that stalking can be linked to some of the most serious crimes the police can deal with, including murder, sexual offences and domestic abuse.

“We must thank the victim for working with us to secure this prosecution, and the substantial sentence handed to Meade illustrates the seriousness of stalking offences, that can often appear trivial.”

Detective Inspector Katherine Rivers, the force’s lead on stalking and harassment, said: “Stalking doesn’t just happen to celebrities.

"This behaviour is about the coercion and control by one person of another, and the escalation of Meade’s threats during these communications meant his victim felt unsafe, even in her own home.

“Spotting the signs of stalking can prevent escalation and I would urge anyone with concerns to contact the police, even if you’re unsure that a crime has been committed.”

> To report stalking, call police on 101, in the case of an emergency, always dial 999.

For information and advice about stalking, visit Bedfordshire Police’s stalking and harassment information pages or also call the National Stalking Helpline on 0808 802 0300, or speak with Paladin, the National Stalking Advocacy on 0203 866 4107.