A STALKER from Cheshire West who made a recruiter have nightmares and fear for her own safety has been jailed.

Michael Clarke met the woman when he signed up with her company in a bid to find work.

After she helped him do that, not only did he fail to turn up for the job but began an eight-month-long campaign of stalking her at her workplace.

The 39-year-old, of Townsfield Road, Winsford, had been due to face trial on three charges in relation to stalking but changed his plea to one of those charges on Friday, July 8. No evidence was offered on the remaining two charges.

Natasha McAdam, prosecuting, told the court how Clarke first met the woman when he signed up to the recruitment agency in August of last year, with the stalking beginning in November.

“He made a comment after she signed him up,” she said.

“And despite finding him work, he didn’t turn up.

“When she rang him to ask why not, he was dismissive of the facts and instead asked her out for a drink.

“She made it clear at that time she no longer wanted any further contact with him.”

However, Clarke, who suffers from alcohol-induced dementia, continued to visit her place of work, despite being told he was no longer on the company’s books.

“After a complaint to the police and being told not to contact her again, within weeks he was spotted outside the building again.

“He made several more calls to the office and after being arrested and charged with stalking, visited the premises again on June 16.

“When he saw her approaching the glass panelled window in the office door, he ran off.”

Reading her victim personal statement from behind a screen, the woman said she suffered from regular nightmares.

“I feel like a shadow of my former self,” she said.

“I can’t shake the feeling he might just turn up out of nowhere.

"I’ve had nightmares of him coming down my street and attacking me.

“I’m living in constant paranoia, and he caused me to suffer from severe anxiety and have panic attacks.

“It is affecting my work and I now no longer like to be alone in the office.

“I feel like I’m constantly on edge. I have a family and children who depend on my well-being.

“He’s left me feeling in fear on a daily basis.”

Milena Bennet, defending, said her client had expressed remorse for the effect his behaviour had on the victim.

“It is clear there are no other options but custody.

“He suffers from alcohol-induced dementia and his condition will continue to deteriorate and have an impact on his actions.

“He will however abide by the restraining order and knows how serious it will if he doesn’t.”

Clarke was jailed for 14 weeks and handed with a 10-year restraining order forbidding him from contacting the woman or going within 100 metres of her place of work.