'Terrifying' Leeds supermarket worker stalked and threatened 16-year-old workmate with rape

Patience Ibenye was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week for her vendetta against the young teenager when they worked at the store in Leeds.

She was suspended from her job for persistently badgering the girl - who cannot be named due to her age - then resorted to making sickening threats of violence from anonymous social media accounts.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told 23-year-old Ibenye: “It seems that, not withstanding the age gap, somehow you felt close to her and wanted to have a friendship with her. It soon became obvious that were looking for something more.

“It must have been absolutely terrifying for that young girl who had done nothing wrong.”

The court heard that the victim had started working at the store in December of last year, and was befriended by Ibenye who appeared pleasant at first. But Ibenye then started following the teenager around the store after finishing her shift.

She then sent a video to the girl’s boyfriend in which she chillingly said: “She is mine as much as yours.”

The victim blocked her over Snapchat, but Ibenye then created TikTok accounts and sent more messages telling the girl she thought she was “cute”.

Ibenye continued to pester the girl and in January asked if they could take work breaks together.

Management at the store were told and Ibenye was suspended. But then messages began to arrive from fake accounts that became increasingly threatening, telling her to “watch her back” or she could get shot, stabbed or raped.

Messages were also sent to the girl’s family and friends.

Ibenye was arrested and all messages stopped, until she was bailed and they began again.

In March officers went to her home address on Belvedere Avenue, Beeston, where they found the phone from which the messages had been posted.

She was re-arrested and has been held on remand since March. She continued to deny wrongdoing, but eventually admitted a charge of stalking with causing a fear of violence.

The court heard she had a previous caution for similar behaviour with another victim.

Mitigating, Mark Foley conceded that Ibenye’s conduct was “sheer madness” but said she recognised the effect it had on the victim.

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He said: “She was very angry. She did not intend to carry out any of the threats. She is a very immature 23-year-old because she was spurned by a young girl whom she worked with and who she thought had her suspended.

He said she was born to Nigerian parents in Italy, her father died when she was 12 and the family moved to England. She was later removed from school because she was being bullied.

Mr Foley added: “She always had difficulties in socialising with others. She is a loner who survives by social media.”

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told her there was “no remorse” on her part and said: “I do not think there can be a case that is more serious than this.”

He jailed her for 32 months and gave her a restraining order to keep her away from the victim.