The optics arent good, says Breen. He and Belfield had known each other through work, the trial heard, but Belfield had never met the other three men he was convicted of stalking. Bernie Keith confirms he's mentally ill and in therapy March 2020. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. The full wording of the charges stated he "pursued a course of conduct that amounted to harassment" of the complainants, which "amounted to stalking" and caused them "serious alarm or distress". Ex-BBC Radio DJ Alex Belfield JAILED for stalking Jeremy Vine 18:16, 4 JAN 2023. "He had to ask his family to watch out for you and to take care in and around their home address.". Something went wrong, please try again later. He also contacted Hewiss clients to undermine his business and encouraged his followers to join in with the abuse. YouTuber Alex Belfield is planning to appeal against his prison sentence for stalking four men online. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was hard to take any satisfaction from the jailing of this despicable man when he will not serve a single day in jail for what he did to the four Leeds women, he said. 'You can't work out how it's happened. Keith Elliot Greenberg Interview The Day John Lennon Died, Keith Chegwin Exclusive 2015 Interview Celebrity Big Brother. He added there was no escape for Belfields victims, until bail conditions were imposed ahead of his trial. The judge did stop him from interrogating complainants, appointing David Aubrey as a proxy advocate. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith told the court he was left feeling suicidal by what he called Belfield's "tsunami of hate." Belfield's contract with BBC Radio Leeds ended in 2011. MP seeks inquiry over BBC staff harassed online, Harassed women accuse BBC of failing to help them, The stalker who reported on his own trial, My jailed stalker says he'll be back - Jeremy Vine, Former BBC presenter found guilty of stalking, Alleged stalker 'is victim of BBC witch-hunt', Jeremy Vine tells trial of 'avalanche of hatred', BBC boss 'terrified by radio host's stalking', Ex-BBC presenter 'stalked fellow broadcasters', Police appeal after stolen tools recovered, Jacksdale ferret rescue plans much-needed fundraiser, Plans for fast food outlets and a bar outside Motorpoint Arena, Huge solar farm near Gotham and East Leake recommended for approval, Community clean-up aims to improve feeling of safety in Warsop, Hucknall bus window smashed by yob with a brick, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. American mom living in Paris mesmerizes internet after revealing the VERY surprising after-school snack kids eat in France. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", . Perhaps that independent review would expose those at the very top (men) who left us exposed. A "cruel" former BBC local radio presenter who stalked broadcasters including TV's Jeremy Vine and BBC Northampton 's Bernie Keith has been jailed for more than five years. Belfield also phoned Dehanys mother and then threatened to broadcast the call an outrageous and cruel act, said Saini and effectively sought to blackmail him by revealing details of a long-spent conviction. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Recommended Ex-BBC DJ guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine during 'vile' hate campaign Hewis encouraged an entire industry to block me.over lies he endorsed! I can tell you now their proposed review will not claim responsibility nor say sorry. The respondent has carried out acts associated with stalking; The respondent poses a risk of stalking to a person; and, There is reasonable cause to believe the proposed order is necessary to protect the other person from that risk. Deutsche Synchronkartei | Person | Klaus Miedel It was on that channel that he first broadcast highly partisan court reports from his own trial, later posted to YouTube and still available to view, after persuading the judge that he was a journalist and should be given the same rights as the Nottingham Post. Toggle primary navigation. Within hours, a video appeared on Belfields secret video channel, accessible to anyone willing to pay him a pound a week. Collaborations. Ben Hewis refuses to engage with the police and hand over the email. The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. The post was shared shortly before 3pm on Friday, March 3, and has already had more than 200 responses. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Then, during a broadcast at Leeds Playhouse, he asked an elderly lady what colour knickers she was wearing, resulting in the theatre boycotting the station. Prosecutors allege that Belfield, who hosts a radio channel on YouTube, waged a relentless nine-year campaign of stalking against eight victims, including ex-colleagues, after BBC Radio Leeds did not renew his contract in 2011. The club joined the English Football League in 1892 as founder members of the Football League Second Division and though they resigned in 1907, they . Mr Justice Saini had sentenced Belfield to two-and-a-half years for stalking one of the complainants, Bernie Keith. Former BBC DJ Alex Belfield has been discovered responsible of the relentless stalking of different broadcasters, together with Jeremy Vine, who he Trending 'La Brea' Season 2 Trailer Goes EVEN DEEPER. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He told the jury he was seconds away from killing himself. He hated being told how to improve by Jeremy, and thats where I think it all started.. The opening of the trial heard that Belfield had been a presenter at BBC Radio Leeds, having been given a one-year contract in spring 2010. Four women, past and previous BBC DJs and executives, had also accused Belfield of stalking them via email and social media, but the jury found him not guilty on those charges. On Count 5 you were convicted of stalking Mr Bernard Spedding - known professionally as Bernie Keith. Bernie Keithwho presents mid-morning shows and a weekly rock 'n' roll programme on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to 'naked' hatred and false claims. "Alex Belfield's conduct, in the form of messages, broadcasts, insults and threats, left his victims fearful and anxious. And what did he mean by: We will be back? I am caught in a constant cycle of exhaustion and fatigue. Former BBC presenter found guilty of stalking, Alleged stalker 'is victim of BBC witch-hunt', Jeremy Vine tells trial of 'avalanche of hatred', BBC boss 'terrified by radio host's stalking', Ex-BBC presenter 'stalked fellow broadcasters', Police appeal after stolen tools recovered, Jacksdale ferret rescue plans much-needed fundraiser, Plans for fast food outlets and a bar outside Motorpoint Arena, Huge solar farm near Gotham and East Leake recommended for approval, Community clean-up aims to improve feeling of safety in Warsop, Hucknall bus window smashed by yob with a brick, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Also speaking during the trial, describing watching Belfields video output as like swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still.. He is being sued for libel by Vine, as well as by the Nottinghamshire police detective in charge of the case against him, and when ordered to pay Vines initial costs of 26,000 after failing to file a defence on time, paid up, in October 2021, within a few days. Why did it take so long to bring him to justice? Giving evidence in court, Vine said: I have in the past had a physical stalker who followed me. For just over three minutes, the 42-year-old delivered a monologue in which he said he was in prison for simply defending himself. View our online Press Pack. I think the jury thought: Oh, it cant have been that bad. She says Belfield has destroyed her mental health, and that she was so frightened that he or his followers would turn up at her house, she spent 20,000 on security measures. A "cruel" former BBC local radio presenter has been jailed for five years and 26 weeks for stalking broadcasters including Jeremy Vine. He realised what he could do and did it with impunity. BBC Radio Leeds presenter Liz Green, who was harassed for 10 years by Belfield. His voice breaking with emotion, Mr Keith added: 'That removes the hope from my life that I will ever be free of this man. In relation to Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany, he was found guilty of two lesser offences of "simple" stalking, which does not require serious alarm or distress to be proved. Though the BBC knew Belfield was spreading lies about them in public, at no point did anyone from the BBC refute the allegations, she says. January was great - highly recommended for joy and fun. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left feeling suicidal by a 'tsunami of hate', the trial heard. During the trial, Mr Keith told the court he was left feeling suicidal by a tsunami of hate from Alex Belfield. For each of these offences he was sentenced to 13 weeks, also to run consecutively. For each of these charges he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, to run consecutively. Ex-BBC presenter guilty of stalking broadcasters including Jeremy Vine Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. Alex Belfield arriving at Nottingham Crown Court on the day of his sentencing. Former BBC local radio DJ Alex Belfield has been found guilty of four . However, he has also been charged with stalking Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. The judge said it was an aggravating factor that Belfield's harassment was public, as this caused his social media followers to also abuse Mr Spedding over a "lengthy period". >? = Alex Belfield: Bernie Keith BBC Radio Northampton, 14 March 2020 (25 mins) Is Alex Belfield a victim of lawfare? 918-707-5636 ohniyou ceiling fan manual. Launching it on 1 March this year, Belfield said he wanted to broadcast away from the toxic spectrumed trolls, lefties, fart heads & Mogadon moronic medicated mentalists & journalists. Silence was the best policy in the eyes of the corporation. READ MORE:Jury's verdicts delivered in stalking trial of ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. . 578 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<64333CF35435EE40AE1982510F889B77>]/Index[562 42]/Info 561 0 R/Length 90/Prev 190620/Root 563 0 R/Size 604/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream I am offensive My human right allows me to speak words that are not to everyones taste, he told the jury. Breen and Green both think the BBC failed all four women who gave evidence against Belfield. The eight complainants hoped to never hear from their tormenter again, only to discover that he had arranged for that one final, defiant video to go live after the judge sent him down, goading them from beyond his prison walls. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. Belfield was jailed after being found guilty of stalking four victims online. I live in fear and I have done for a long time, she says. Feb 10th, doors at 7, first dance at 7.30- 11.30. Broadcaster Alex Belfield arrested FIVE times and strip-searched in 'BBC witch-hunt' The Home Secretary has been asked to intervene in an alleged "witch hunt" of a former BBC DJ who has been . Alex Belfield arrives at Nottingham crown court in July for the trial in which he was accused of stalking. Jail Time Awaits Former BBC Radio Presenter Convicted of Stalking He warned Belfield he needed to be "extra careful about your online communications" as he adjourned the case. 'The counselling didn't work for me - I had never had counselling before and I found it very difficult, very alien.'. Green says she is deeply disappointed that the BBC did not commission an independent inquiry. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? His aim was, in his own words, to haunt his victims, and he deployed his army of followers to pile on with abusive messages to those targeted, said Mr Justice Saini. Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield, 42, caused serious alarm or distress to Vine, as well as Stephanie Hirst, a former BBC Radio Leeds mid-morning show host, and Bernie Keith, of BBC Radio Northampton. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left suicidal by a "tsunami of hate", the trial was also told. Feb 8. Instead, he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, and sent emails either to them or about them. Articles by Alex Belfield's Profile - Muck Rack One day, Green says she found a talented young producer crying in the toilets after being shouted at by Belfield. "Despite four women not securing guilty verdicts, today's custodial sentences are a welcome relief," she wrote. Mr Belfield was today sentenced to five years and 26 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. A BBC radio host has revealed that alleged stalking by an ex-staff member left him contemplating suicide. How many people signed up for 1 a week is unclear, though some live streams attracted barely 300 viewers. Repeating a libel is not a defense in court. Read about our approach to external linking. Something went wrong, please try again later. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Sonic boom heard as RAF Typhoon jets escort plane, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory. Axed DJ who stalked Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith and Jeremy Vine Port Vale F.C. During his trial, the court heard from his stalking victims - including BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith. Ex-BBC boss Rozina Breen stalked by former Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield's campaign of harassment had left Northampton's Bernie Keith just seconds away from suicide. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? and BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. It was a nine-year obsession, which saw him make what the judge described as the false and scandalous accusation that Keith regularly had sex in public on gay beaches with strangers. Mr Vine gave evidence against Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, telling jurors: This is not a regular troll here. If you are watching this, I have been sent to jail, intoned Belfield in his Steve Wright meets Alan Partridge boom, standing in front of a skewwhiff union jack in the living room of his Nottingham home, wearing one of his trademark jazzy shirts. It sent this statement: Monetisation on the Voice of Reason channel remains suspended for violating our creator responsibility policy. Unprovoked, anonymous, malicious email published by Ben Hewis Oct 1 2019. He took photos of Hewiss wife and young child from social media and included them in his videos, even using a picture of a foetal scan showing Hewiss unborn baby as part of his relentless email campaign of harassment. Belfield has worked for over 80 radio stations in the UK. What will the next pandemic be? But some of the complainants feel they never really got justice. It didnt work. "Although you at no stage committed any physical acts, Mr Vine considered himself and his family to be at risk from you and his followers," the judge told Belfield. Online stalkers like you have the ability to recruit an army of followers whose conduct massively expands the effect of your stalking. . Member of the public 'donates' hand grenade to D-Day museum Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Each of them suffered serious mental health problems arising from Mr Belfields conduct, he said, imposing indefinite restraining orders preventing Belfield from contacting the women. He soon made it to the top of Belfields hitlist, featuring regularly as a hate figure in his videos and social media posts. The prosecution said the YouTuber's stalking was more akin to 'internet trolling' than physical stalking, sending emails, tweets or making videos and subjecting victims to harassment and abuse - some of them over the course of many years. As Prince Harry says he felt like the film 'the boy in the bubble' before having therapy, who was 12-year-old David Vetter whose tragic story inspired the documentary? This resulted in my reputation destroyed in the eyes of peers who blocked me. Hazell is one of numerous others who now say Belfield trolled them. The application is being followed-up in its original format, including victims from his trial, and with two more people added - who were not involved in his trial. He was cleared of stalking charges in relation to the BBC's former head of North Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and former BBC worker Helen Thomas. At NorthantsLive we're more than just news. Both had come to the defence of others under attack by Belfield. YouTubers question whether stalker Alex Belfield will have sentence PDF R -v- Alex Belfield sentencing remarks - judiciary.uk Judge tells Alex Belfield to expect jail over nine-year 'campaign of harassment' As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this article! Some believe he relied on others as media monitors and had sources within the BBC itself: he seemed to know everything discussed on each of their radio shows every day, along with a number of internal matters. In October 2020, Belfield spread a false rumour that he was having an affair with a fellow BBC radio presenter, using it as part of his ongoing campaign against the national broadcaster. Regardless, the judge clearly considered him a threat. "He said he could see their distress in court and feels deeply sorry for what he did.". BBC & RPC lawyers refuse to deny BBC DJ Bernard Spedding / Bernie Keith wrote email. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. endstream endobj 566 0 obj <>stream "I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.". This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Apparently jealous that Keith's BBC career carried on while his own was . The women were told: The aim of the review is to provide recommendations to the BBC on how it can best support colleagues facing online stalking or significant social media harassment.. Bernard Spedding - guilty (majority verdict), Philip Dehany - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (majority verdict), Jeremy Vine - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (unanimous verdict). FORMER BBC radio presenter, Alex Belfield, has been jailed for five and a half years. Belfield, 42, subjected four people in a "relentless" campaign of stalking - including broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Ms Breen had been his boss at BBC Radio Leeds, Ms Green had been a fellow radio presenter, Ms Thomas had been Ms Breen's boss, and Ms Hirst joined BBC Radio Leeds as a presenter after Belfield left. He soon made enemies in the theatre world, says a director who started monitoring his online activities a few years ago (and who wishes to remain anonymous). This is the Jimmy Savile of trolling., Likening watching Belfields videos to swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said of the defendants conduct: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still., Jurors convicted Belfield of four charges committed between 2012 and 2021. Belfield looked pale as he was led down to the cells as more than 20 of his supporters watched silently from the public gallery. Another of Belfields victims was a videographer targeted after tweeting his disgust at one of the defendants YouTube videos, sending a foetal scan to the man and trying to contact his then-pregnant wife. Since 2012 Belfield has focused on presenting and producing content for his website Celebrity Radio. 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Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other Alex Belfield was labelled 'the Jimmy Savile of trolling' during the trial, Subscribe today to get the latest Northants headlines straight to your inbox with our free email updates. He was found guilty of this offence in relation to two of the complainants - Mr Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer Ben Hewis. Close Belfield-watchers believe his lurch to the right was a business decision rather than an ideological one. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. "You were not a whistleblower in any sense but developed a fixation with pursuing Mr Vine with a campaign of abuse," the judge said. How much money Belfield made in recent years is unclear. Ms Breen tweeted that she was glad to finally have justice after 10 years. Mr Justice Saini had sentenced Belfield to two-and-a-half years for stalking one of the complainants, Bernie Keith. Ex-DJ who left BBC Northampton's Bernie Keith 'seconds away' from We were the learning curve for Belfield. Hopkins believes he will be back, his ego bigger than ever after honing his act in front of a literally captive audience. Belfield was not accused of physically stalking the complainants, who were mostly current or former BBC staff. Alex Belfield: YouTuber plans appeal against stalking jail sentence Nobody from the corporation has apologised for what I and the others faced for more than a decade.. All prove they have absolutely no understanding of the law. Remorseless Belfield videos himself as he arrives at court in July. Who is Alex Belfield and why has he been jailed? | The Sun Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. Bernie Keith BBC Radio Northampton from Alex Belfield on Vimeo. When blocked on Twitter he used other accounts to see what I was tweeting and routinely publicly mocked me to his social media followers, posting screengrabs he could only have obtained by using an account that I hadn't blocked.". The verdicts in relation to each complainant, in the order they appeared on the indictment, were: In mitigation, barrister David Aubrey KC said Belfield had not intended to cause his victims distress, but could now see that he had. hb```6Ad`0p In December 2011, Belfield made his debut on BBC Radio 2 with Jimmy Savile's "last in-depth interview", recorded at Savile's Leeds home in February that year. arring a successful appeal, Belfield will serve at least the next two years and 39 weeks in jail, before being released on licence to serve the second half of his sentence. Jurors deliberated for 14 hours and 27 minutes before reaching their verdicts, following a four-week trial that began on 5 July. Vine said it is very, very important that the BBC learn lessons from what happened to the women at BBC Leeds.
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