Chilling Leeds phone stalker threatened to breach order each time he is released from prison
A stalker who has been jailed four times later told police that he will continue to contact the woman when he is released.
Richard Pilkington was handed another, lengthier spell behind bars at Leeds Crown Court after his latest bout of relentless pestering of his former partner.
A victim impact statement was read to the court by the victim who said: “He is incapable of abiding by the restraining order. It’s a repetitive cycle.
“He will find any means to contact me. I’m at my wit’s end with it.
“I just want peace in my life. I almost feel sorry for him. If he does not get help this will continue for the rest of my life.”
Prosecutor Daisy Wrigley said previous jail sentences had been handed to 37-year-old Pilkington, along with a restraining order that was even extended to 2028 to deter him.
But he continued to turn up at her Leeds home address, follow her from work, constantly ring and send messages.
He was released from his last jail sentence on December 23 last year, with his ex being warned he had been freed.
Ms Wrigley said the woman expected him to immediately breach the restraining order again, but it did not happen until New Year’s Eve.
She received numerous calls from unknown numbers, which later turned out to be various phone boxes in Leeds city centre.
When she eventually answered Pilkington told her he had nowhere to live and feared he would die on the streets, asking to come to her home.
He was eventually arrested on January 22 in the city centre and admitted contacting her. He said he had nowhere to live and wants to go back to prison.
Pilkington then said he would continue to breach the order if he has nowhere to go.
Appearing in court from HMP Leeds, he admitted stalking causing serious alarm or distress and harassment with breach of a restraining order.
He has 13 previous convictions for 33 offences, many against his former partner.
Mitigating, Lily Wildman said Pilkington, of no fixed address, was “candid” and was “very clear why he committed the offences”, although conceded it did not reduce his culpability.
She added: “If he does not get any support this will continue.”
Judge Howard Crowson said Pilkington’s claims about breaching the restraining order were more like a threat than a reason to get help in finding a home.
He said: “There’s no justification to continue harassing her. The impact on her can’t be understated. She can’t believe she will ever be free from this.”
He jailed him for 28 months and told him the restraining order will continue.