Rochelle Gores Fredston, Ushl Combines 2021, Articles B

The full wording of the charges stated that he "pursued a course of conduct that amounted to harassment" of the complainants, which "amounted to stalking" and caused them "serious alarm or distress". This is the Jimmy Savile of trolling., Likening watching Belfields videos to swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said of the defendants conduct: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still., Jurors convicted Belfield of four charges committed between 2012 and 2021. Iain Lee says he was "too scared" to take former BBC radio presenter Alex Belfield to court, claiming that the convicted stalker made his life "miserable".. Belfield, 42, was sentenced to more than five years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of stalking four people, including the TV presenter Jeremy Vine, 57.. UPDATE. 603 0 obj <>stream In relation to the women, the judge said: "Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. He hated the thing he loved, or hated other people having success within it.. He is being sued for libel by Vine, as well as by the Nottinghamshire police detective in charge of the case against him, and when ordered to pay Vines initial costs of 26,000 after failing to file a defence on time, paid up, in October 2021, within a few days. The judge described Mr Dehanys mother as robust for the way she dealt calmly with Belfield, telling her: Everybody needs a mother like you. Mr Justice Saini said: It was an outrageous and cruel act to call her and make a recording, which Belfield later used as content on his channel. Alex Belfield, who now runs a YouTube channel, stalked his victims by harassing them online. She suffered years of what the judge described as transphobic and hateful comments motivated in part at least by feelings of jealousy as to her success when his own career within the BBC had foundered. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The judge said Belfield had made "wholly false" allegations about Mr Vine stealing 1,000 of BBC licence payers' money, in a video which was viewed by more than 400,000 people. I pleaded with him [Belfield] to stop. Breen and Green both think the BBC failed all four women who gave evidence against Belfield. alex belfield wife name. I am caught in a constant cycle of exhaustion and fatigue. Prosecutors allege that Alex Belfield caused alarm and distress to eight victims after his contract with BBC Radio Leeds was not renewed in 2011. . His aim was, in his own words, to haunt his victims, and he deployed his army of followers to pile on with abusive messages to those targeted, said Mr Justice Saini. Bernie Keithwho presents mid-morning shows and a weekly rock 'n' roll programme on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to 'naked' hatred and false claims. He presents aYouTubechannel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. and BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. Heres Celebrity Radios BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENT. Refuses to deny he wrote the email. At NorthantsLive we're more than just news. Recalling how he was offered counselling in 2020, the presenter told the court: 'I had three sessions before lockdown came into force. Refuses to deny he wrote the email. Belfield was jailed after being found guilty of stalking four victims online. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. 6 months later Ben Hewis REFUSES to release the email. In December 2011, Belfield made his debut on BBC Radio 2 with Jimmy Savile's "last in-depth interview", recorded at Savile's Leeds home in February that year. 'I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.'. Mr Justice Saini said Belfield's campaign of harassment had left Mr Keith just seconds away from dying by suicide. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Ben Hewis is perverting the course of justice. 0 For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Alex Belfield has been jailed for five and a half years. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Sentencing Belfield, the judge said he had made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell He was terrified of you. So scared was Keith that he gave neighbours a copy of Belfields photograph, in case he decided to take his campaign of harassment offline. Mr Vine also gave evidence against Belfield during the trial, as he said: "This . The BBC reports Alex Belfield, . Its not enough to leave us to sink and swim, as we had to in this case, Breen wrote in an email to Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBCs director of nations. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", . Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Neither had ever met him. Prosecutors claimed Belfield subjected Vine to a relentless online campaign that included a wave of personal and unpleasant attacks on YouTube,TwitterandFacebookover an 11-month period. It was a nine-year obsession, which saw him make what the judge described as the false and scandalous accusation that Keith regularly had sex in public on gay beaches with strangers. Alex Belfields online harassment made life misery for BBC presenters Jeremy Vine, Liz Green and many others. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. During his trial, the court heard from his stalking victims - including BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith. hen Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. It was a risk. Ben Hewis refuses to engage with the police and hand over the email. The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. Presenter Iain Lee has since come out to say Belfield targeted him for many years, but that he was too frightened to go to court to give evidence. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Sonic boom heard as RAF Typhoon jets escort plane, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory. Find Alex Belfield of CelebrityRadio.biz's articles, email address, contact information, Twitter and more. Unprovoked, anonymous, malicious email published by Ben Hewis Oct 1 2019. During his trial, Belfield, 42, of Shaldon Close in Mapperley, had opted not to give evidence in his defence before giving a closing speech, in which he claimed he was a whistleblower who had seen two-and-a-half years of his life torn apart by police inquiries. Judge tells Alex Belfield to expect jail over nine-year 'campaign of harassment' Mr Justice Saini said: You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell. Alleged stalker 'is victim of BBC witch-hunt', Jeremy Vine tells trial of 'avalanche of hatred', BBC boss 'terrified by radio host's stalking', Ex-BBC presenter 'stalked fellow broadcasters', Police appeal after stolen tools recovered, Jacksdale ferret rescue plans much-needed fundraiser, Plans for fast food outlets and a bar outside Motorpoint Arena, Huge solar farm near Gotham and East Leake recommended for approval, Community clean-up aims to improve feeling of safety in Warsop, Hucknall bus window smashed by yob with a brick, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. For the best part of 10 years they had been complaining about Belfields vendetta, in which he sent hundreds, if not thousands, of emails to them and their superiors. Ben Hewis is perverting the course of justice. Your email address will not be published. His trial heard he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, sent emails, and also encouraged his followers to target them. The term again is two-and-half years; Count 7: Philip Dehany, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simple stalking - Belfield received a consecutive sentence of 13 weeks. "Your methods were, however, just as effective as a way of intimidating your victims, and were in many ways much harder to deal with.". The TV presenter labelled him the Jimmy Savile of trolling during the trial, which heard he repeatedly posted or sent abusive messages, videos and emails. Alex Belfield and Katie Hopkins in a video on her YouTube channel, advertising the show they did together. At first, he grew his audience with silly sketches and phone-ins, railing against government Covid policy, particularly the ban on care-home visits. Belfield compared his treatment with that of a police officer who had escaped jail despite being convicted of possessing child abuse images. Also speaking during the trial, describing watching Belfields video output as like swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still.. Its like an avalanche of hatred that you get hit by., Vine didnt think he had ever even met Belfield, but another former BBC radio presenter, James Hazell, remembers Vine delivering a masterclass to local BBC presenters in 2010. "My initial reaction [to the stalking] was 'He's gone mad'," Mr Spedding told the trial. I am offensive My human right allows me to speak words that are not to everyones taste, he told the jury. Despite later coming out as a member of the LGBT community when defending himself against allegations of homophobia in his trial, Belfield attempted to project an image of rampant heterosexuality for much of his life, with frequent references to breasticles and the current or future Mrs Belfield. The eight complainants hoped to never hear from their tormenter again, only to discover that he had arranged for that one final, defiant video to go live after the judge sent him down, goading them from beyond his prison walls. Fans, largely older women, were often in the public gallery to show support. Belfield also phoned Dehanys mother and then threatened to broadcast the call an outrageous and cruel act, said Saini and effectively sought to blackmail him by revealing details of a long-spent conviction. Between 2004 and 2010, he appeared on radio stations, including Mercia FM, Touch FM, BBC Bristol, BBC Radio Shropshire and BBC Hereford and Worcester. December is a busy month. "There's a good chance of a custodial sentence," he added. Perhaps that independent review would expose those at the very top (men) who left us exposed. Belfield was not accused of physically stalking the complainants, who were mostly current or former BBC staff. Bernard Spedding ignored every single correspondence. Addressing the jury in the third week of the trial, Mr Keith said Belfield's YouTube videos, emails and social media messages had included highly abusive language and a threat to 'hound you for the rest of your life'.