Clacton: Walliams stalker could be jailed (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Clacton: Walliams stalker could be jailed

9:42am Thursday 8th May 2008

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AN obsessive fan who stalked Little Britain star David Walliams could face jail after visiting his home just 48 hours after a court warned her to leave the TV funnyman alone.

Sarah Bartholomew, 28, broke a bail condition ordering her to stay away from the award-winning comedian and actor, a court heard.

She had already admitted harassing Mr Walliams by bombarding him with emails and kinky love poems.

District judge Ian Baker had told Bartholomew, from Clacton, she was not facing jail at an earlier hearing. But after seeing the content of the emails for the first time on Friday, Mr Baker said her actions were "far more serious" and he could no longer rule out a prison sentence.

The judge said Bartholomew appeared "delusional".

After seeing new evidence he said: "I cannot understand why the case was presented to me in the way it was if this is true."

Bartholomew, of William Drive, had "deliberately flouted" her bail conditions, the judge said.

She had taken gifts round to her victim's home but Mr Walliams was out of the country.

Former vets nurse Bartholomew had admitted to court officials she had breached bail.

The judge said her admission was "bizarre".

The court heard Bartholomew had sent more than 1,000 pages of emails to Mr Walliams and claimed he was keeping a relationship between them "secret".

She first contacted him four years ago and was mentioned in the comedian's autobiography.

Tim Walker, mitigating, said Bartholomew accepted she had "an obsessional state of mind in relation to Mr Walliams".

The judge told him: "It seems to me your client's state of mind on at least some occasions, if not always, is delusional."

The judge ordered Bartholomew to undergo psychiatric reports.

He banned her from going anywhere inside the M25 and to have no contact with Mr Williams, his agents or solicitors. She must also report to Clacton police twice a day until she appears at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court again for sentencing at the end of the month.

The judge warned Bartholomew she would be sent to Holloway if she contacted her victim again.

"You deliberately flouted the court's bail conditions," he said.

"As far as sentencing options are concerned what I said on Tuesday no longer holds and all options remain open."

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