Locations
Moved to Vale Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4
Description
Boots shop assistant, Bethany Funnell repeatedly pleaded for Chinwem Nwachuku to leave her alone.
However, on multiple occasions, he turned up at her store in Above Bar Street making comments about her appearance and making her feel uncomfortable.
Prosecution barrister, Richard Martin, told how the defendant was asked several times to leave Boots despite being banned.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Nwachuku looked Miss Funnell up and down and told her “you know you’re my type”.
Mr Martin told how the incident left the victim scared to walk through Southampton on her own.
In her victim personal statement dated from October this year, Miss Funnell said: “When this man started stalking me, I said that I was ‘concerned for my welfare as I do not know where his boundaries lie,’ I can tell you today that I am no longer concerned for my welfare, I am terrified.”
She added: “I should be able to go about my day-to-day life without having to call my mum in hysterics because I’m scared... without my dad telling me that I need to leave my place of employment, as I am no longer safe there... without my partner having to continuously listen to my worries.”
During a separate occasion, involving another victim, the defendant went into a store in Westquay - where he was also banned - and approached an assistant.
After asking for her name and number, Nwachuku touched the woman’s hair telling her “you’re nice” and “you have a nice shape to you”.
Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, he was charged with sexual assault, and stalking without fear/alarm/distress.
He was found guilty of stalking but admitted to the charge of sexual assault.
The 40-year-old had been living with his brother in Southampton at the time of the offences during the summer of last year.
However, he now lives with his mother in Vale Road, Finsbury Park, London.
Defending, David Kemeny said a sentence would be best severed by his client learning how to talk to women and how to talk to other people in a respectful way.
Judge Nicholas Rowland jailed him for ten months, however, suspended the sentence for two years.
Nwachuku must complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 31, sessions on the Horizon programme and ten rehabilitation activity days.
He has also been made the subject of a restraining order not to contact his victims.