Grant Hodnett, a 41-year-old resident of Birch Close in Rixton-on-Glazebrook, has been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment after stalking two women and breaching a restraining order. The case was heard at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Hodnett’s criminal demeanour came to light in June 2023, when he initiated a relationship with his first victim. However, after just three months, the relationship ended. What followed was a relentless campaign of harassment against the victim. She received a barrage of emails, messages, and phone calls, all falsely using her details to sign her up for various online services, including newsletters, cigarette companies, alcohol charities, and multiple therapists. The victim was even described as a “highfalutin person” and a “habitual liar.”

As if that weren’t enough, Hodnett’s web of deception extended to the victim’s friends. They, too, were contacted by him, further implicating him in the stalking incidents. Enquiries by law enforcement agencies traced these subscriptions back to Hodnett’s home address, where he had been making anonymous calls to the victim from multiple withheld numbers.

But Hodnett’s criminal history didn’t end there. In September 2020, he had already been convicted of stalking another woman. Despite this, on November 1, 2023, he was spotted on London Road in Stockton Heath—a clear violation of an indefinite restraining order that prohibited him from entering the area.

The Constabulary’s Harm Reduction Unit (HRU) launched an investigation into Hodnett’s actions. He was arrested twice during the inquiry. On the first occasion, he attempted to conceal evidence by hiding his mobile phone, laptop, and tablet before surrendering to custody.