Living on the edge (literally! No more waking up in the middle of the night filled with dread about what he might have said about them to his then 373,000. 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? "He was seconds away from taking his own life as a result of your conduct," the judge, Mr Justice Saini, told Belfield. Belfield looked pale as he was led down to the cells as more than 20 of his supporters watched silently from the public gallery. hen Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. For each of these offences he was sentenced to 13 weeks, also to run consecutively. endstream endobj startxref 'My reputation is now in shreds because all of this has been seen throughout my industry and the wider population. He will be even more unbearable, she said in an Instagram video, with a twinkle in her eye that suggested she can hardly wait. Belfields final BBC target was Vine, who made the mistake of responding after learning that Belfield had called him and fellow broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire cunts online. "Blocking was also a futile exercise as Belfield continued to seek out new ways to get to me when others failed. The term again is two-and-half years; Count 7: Philip Dehany, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simple stalking - Belfield received a consecutive sentence of 13 weeks. The judge described Mr Dehanys mother as robust for the way she dealt calmly with Belfield, telling her: Everybody needs a mother like you. Mr Justice Saini said: It was an outrageous and cruel act to call her and make a recording, which Belfield later used as content on his channel. Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis . I pleaded with him [Belfield] to stop. One of the BBC targets was Bernie Keith, a veteran presenter at BBC Radio Northampton who was once Belfield's friend. He was convicted Friday, August 5, 2022, on four counts of stalking. . 603 0 obj <>stream Similar orders in favour of four other individuals the BBCs former head of the north Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and BBC executive Helen Thomas were also made. Both question why the corporation only really took the abuse seriously once a well-known man Vine was involved. 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 means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. This apology does not make it OK. In 2006, he presented the breakfast show on Capital Gold in Birmingham for six weeks, before moving to London to take over the station's networked national late show called The Late Night Revolution. Judge Saini jailed Belfield for five years and 26 weeks, accusing him of having weaponised the internet to haunt his targets. Sentencing Belfield, the judge said he had made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell He was terrified of you. So scared was Keith that he gave neighbours a copy of Belfields photograph, in case he decided to take his campaign of harassment offline. Then began a 10-year campaign of harassment against both Breen and Green, as well as Helen Thomas, Breens line manager, who was head of regional and local programming for Yorkshire. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 'In April last year I collapsed at my home and had to be taken to hospital. The civil application, which pre-dates the criminal case, is for a Stalking Protection Order on the basis he has carried out acts associated with stalking. "He had to ask his family to watch out for you and to take care in and around their home address.". He bought his detached house in Mapperley, Nottingham, for 314,950 in October 2018, and it is mortgaged. Thats a word I have never heard We four were left to suffer and are suffering still, she says. Online stalkers like you have the ability to recruit an army of followers whose conduct massively expands the effect of your stalking. Asked why it had not banned Belfield from its platform following his conviction, YouTube did not respond. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Christmas is always Belfield's busiest time of the year. Apparently jealous that Keiths BBC career carried on while his own was stymied, Belfield set about trying to ruin Keiths life using his usual weapons of YouTube, Twitter and emails. She suffered years of what the judge described as transphobic and hateful comments motivated in part at least by feelings of jealousy as to her success when his own career within the BBC had foundered. 'Because of the tsunami of hate and threats that were coming in to me, we had to have someone else sat in the building with me.'. Recalling how he was offered counselling in 2020, the presenter told the court: 'I had three sessions before lockdown came into force. He started his own online show, Celebrity Radio, bagging interviews with famous people in return for advertising plugs, and tried to sell himself as a theatre and restaurant reviewer. He presents aYouTubechannel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. Both question why the corporation only really took the abuse seriously once a well-known man Vine was involved. 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In his closing speech to jurors at Nottingham Crown Court, Belfield said he had a right to freedom of speech, and some of the communications were in his role as a journalist, holding the BBC to account. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left feeling suicidal by a 'tsunami of hate', the trial heard. He has been contacted 5 times to remove his outrageous claims. It could be interpreted as a reluctance to expose systemic failings and a complete failure in duty of care. During his trial, Belfield, 42, of Shaldon Close in Mapperley, had opted not to give evidence in his defence before giving a closing speech, in which he claimed he was a whistleblower who had seen two-and-a-half years of his life torn apart by police inquiries. Speaking after the verdicts, Sheryl Monk from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Stalking is a very serious crime that has a severe impact on its victims. He did so after the prosecution told him the maximum sentence for this offence was five years, but the maximum sentence is actually 10 years. Breen sacked him on the spot, but agreed to honour the last two months of his contract. One of the alleged victims - TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine - told the trial last week that 42-year-old Belfield is 'the Jimmy Savile of trolling'. Alex Belfield was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in behind bars (Image: PA) A civil stalking order is being pursued at the magistrates' court against former BBC DJ Alex . I NEED YOUR HELP TO GET JUSTICE. 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. I am caught in a constant cycle of exhaustion and fatigue. In August Belfield, of Mapperley, was convicted of stalking to cause alarm and distress to BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, and guilty of the same charge concerning videographer Ben Hewis. Ex-BBC presenter guilty of stalking broadcasters including Jeremy Vine and Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. The judge made restraining orders in relation to all of the complainants, including those Belfield was not convicted of stalking. Vine said it is very, very important that the BBC learn lessons from what happened to the women at BBC Leeds. 'I can't remember when I have had a run of good sleep of longer than five hours. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Collaborations. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer . Bernie Keith BBC Radio Northampton from Alex Belfield on Vimeo. And what did he mean by: We will be back? Breen left this summer to become editor-in-chief at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Labour MP Barry Sheerman is calling for an independent inquiry into how the BBC treated female staff who were harassed online by Belfield. I find you intended to maximise Mr Keiths distress.. I AM A VICTIM OF A CRIME. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. Heres Celebrity Radios BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENT. In relation to the women, the judge said: "Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. Fans, largely older women, were often in the public gallery to show support. Read about our approach to external linking. Why do the four women involved feel let down? Mr Vine also gave evidence against Belfield during the trial, as he said: "This . Published: 11:08 EST, 21 July 2022 | Updated: 11:22 EST, 21 July 2022. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He would invite viewers to send in fan mail not to any registered office but to his local pub, whose landlady he described as his receptionist. Mr Belfield was today sentenced to five years and 26 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court. 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. He told the jury he was seconds away from killing himself. All of the people who liked and re-tweeted Hewis libel will be called as witnesses. Read about our approach to external linking. According to the Institute of Lawfare, lawfare is the misuse and abuse of the law for political, commercial and military ends. The day he was found guilty he was wearing a Bermuda shirt and shorts. At first, he grew his audience with silly sketches and phone-ins, railing against government Covid policy, particularly the ban on care-home visits. 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. . Alex Belfield, a former BBC presenter, appears at Nottingham Crown Court, on 12 counts of stalking on July 29, 2021. Articles by Alex Belfield on Muck Rack. YouTuber Alex Belfield is planning to appeal against his prison sentence for stalking four men online. While never submitting himself to cross-examination, he was allowed to deliver a pompous closing speech deriding the case as a BBC and police witch-hunt and describing himself as the No 1 anti-BBC journalist. Neither had ever met him. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Never miss a crime story with our free email updates. Alex Belfield arriving for his trial at Nottingham Crown Court (Image: PA) An award-winning broadcaster has told a court she was devastated by a "completely transphobic" video posted online by an ex-BBC Radio DJ accused of stalking former colleagues and TV star Jeremy Vine. In September 1997, he began his career as part of the launch team of Radio 106. Mr Spedding, the trial heard, was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate" from Belfield. The sentences on each charge Belfield was convicted on: Count 5: BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - Belfield has been given two-and-half years in prison on count 5; Count 6: Videographer Ben Hewis, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - the sentence is consecutive to the previous term for the stalking of Mr Keith. He also agreed with Mr Vines characterisation that the ex-DJ had weaponised the internet against those he targeted. 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. For the TV presenter Jeremy Vine, the most high-profile target of arguably Britains most prolific troll, it would be the first time in several years that he could host a live phone-in without worrying that one of Belfields acolytes would hijack the programme to confront him with Belfields lies. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The stalking of Mr Keith caused him serious alarm or distress. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The verdicts in relation to each complainant were: Giving evidence to the trial, Mr Vine described Belfield's behaviour as "like an avalanche of hatred you get hit by", and "absolutely Olympic-level stalking, even for broadcasting". Alex Belfields online harassment made life misery for BBC presenters Jeremy Vine, Liz Green and many others. "Alex Belfield had no qualms about the abuse he handed out, in many cases publicly.". Close Belfield-watchers believe his lurch to the right was a business decision rather than an ideological one. Belfield was given a total of five years and 26 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half, on all four charges he was convicted of. Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, denies causing serious alarm or distress to Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter Mr Vine, former BBC Radio Leeds mid-morning show host Stephanie Hirst, Mr Keith and five other people. In Mr Keiths case, the abuse was sustained over nine years, with the judge saying he had no escape from Belfield, who made up and repeated a wholly false and scandalous allegation about his former friend. . Belfield currently hosts the Voice of Reason YouTube channel, which has over 372,000 subscribers. Belfield, a former BBC radio presenter turned YouTube free speech advocate, was deeply sorry for the hurt he had caused, said Aubrey, after Belfield was convicted of stalking Vine and three other men online. 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. 'You can't work out how it's happened. 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. The relief was temporary. Aaron Sidwell was smart enough to retract his comments immediately: Phillip Dehany refuses to delete his post/vlog repeating the lies and endorsing Hewis. Refuses to deny he wrote the email. January was great - highly recommended for joy and fun. Ben Hewis refuses to engage with the police and hand over the email. "Despite four women not securing guilty verdicts, today's custodial sentences are a welcome relief," she wrote. Alex Belfield has been warned he could be jailed, Alex Belfield was found guilty of "simple" stalking in relation to BBC presenter Jeremy Vine, Alex Belfield was convicted of four offences at Nottingham Crown Court, Mr Belfield was previously a presenter at BBC Radio Leeds. A security company had also been brought in to collect him from the radio station's car park, Mr Keith said. 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). Copyright Celebrity Radio. He warned him he could then be recalled to prison if he commits a further offence. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate", the trial heard. Prosecutors claimed Belfield subjected Vine to a relentless online campaign that included a wave of personal and unpleasant attacks on YouTube,TwitterandFacebookover an 11-month period. For each of these charges he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, to run consecutively. To have your reputation destroyed maliciously is unforgivable. We also want to learn from this to ensure we offer the best possible support to all colleagues, who may sadly experience the threat and risks of online stalking in the future., Last Friday, the four BBC women received an email saying the BBC had commissioned an internal review to establish what lessons can be learned from the recent criminal case. Its like an avalanche of hatred that you get hit by., Vine didnt think he had ever even met Belfield, but another former BBC radio presenter, James Hazell, remembers Vine delivering a masterclass to local BBC presenters in 2010. although such was the effect of what Alex Belfield did that some were . An ex-BBC boss has told a court how she felt as though she had a "noose around my neck" after being stalked by a former Radio Leeds DJ. The 42-year-old, from Nottingham, is due to be sentenced on 16 September and has been warned he could be jailed. Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis. He loved and hated showbusiness, and if he couldnt be you, hed have you, and be part of you, another way. 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. The judge explained he did not question the verdicts of the jurors, but was applying the civil standard of proof when making the restraining orders. 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. 'This was the darkest point of my life because there was no end to it. hWmo8+}(fI0He&[%@bwYsun!-Q$m>|(c #*fD((B+AH"9hn@*bJM (XDpn+X [EhA8b0BCJ ]JAD*# vb7kG;?+z]VlMow&k]dY\?2z?|Hzm|umLpM'lU),>9S*sD0xXl&[QdyLUvf% 5nLMY/]B~KJJeLPNAbK Clv/?`x8CG]* WAbZa\kC89ZCR7F-EdOzdoEey1*|z`L8}`! i_}Y/z*}Z4V0j_Zn(XP @C!|D@F;= 4`EwsivT! Would they ever truly be able to escape the man Vine described as an Olympic-level stalker? . Iain Lee says he was "too scared" to take former BBC radio presenter Alex Belfield to court, claiming that the convicted stalker made his life "miserable".. Belfield, 42, was sentenced to more than five years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of stalking four people, including the TV presenter Jeremy Vine, 57.. 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. Mr Justice Saini said Belfield developed a fixation in pursuing Mr Vine with a campaign of abuse, with the broadcaster having to warn his wife and children to watch out for the defendant, especially after his home address was published by his followers. 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'. I hope you take some time to consider Bernie Keith's statement. If that way was via abuse, then that was certainly effective in being part of your story. Asked by prosecutor John McGuinness QC to explain the personal, professional and health impact of the alleged stalking, Mr Keith responded: 'I had physical threats and, I believe, death threats. Bernie Keith (pictured) who 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, Prosecutors allege that Belfield (pictured arriving at Nottingham Crown Court), 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. 'I had this naked hate being piled on me every day and I had to be funny and I had to entertain people. - a disco for people who want to dance to songs they know from backalong but have nowhere to go. According to GoFundMe, which hosted the appeals, he raised a total of 29,446. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield's campaign of harassment had left Northampton's Bernie Keith just seconds away from suicide. His anti-BBC stance soon attracted prominent support: Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen appeared on his shows and last year wrote to Priti Patel, then home secretary, to complain about what he called a BBC witch-hunt against Belfield, after one of his arrests. No more waking up in the middle of the night filled with dread about what he might have said about them to his then 373,000 YouTube subscribers or in bitter emails to their bosses or clients. 6 months later the BBC refuse to reveal which BBC person wrote the email. 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. A-list trainer shares the ultimate do's and don'ts of workout etiquette - revealing why you should NEVER use a metal water bottle, Trump collaborates with January 6 prison choir in release of new single 'Justice for All' - which dropped ahead of his CPAC appearance, King Charles will offer Prince Harry and Meghan a Buckingham Palace apartment when they visit UK after kicking them out of Frogmore Cottage. When Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. Prosecutor John McGuinness QC told Nottingham Crown Court that Alex Belfield's lies had a "devastating effect" on Bernie Keith, who presents the mid-morning show on the BBC station . Worse, in 2013, a few years into Belfields campaign against her and Breen, the BBCs HR team chose to launch an investigation not into their harassment, but into whether they were guilty of bullying Belfield. is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.The club was formed in the late 1870s and in 1884 they took the name Burslem Port Vale, dropping the 'Burslem' prefix in 1907. Belfield was not accused of physically stalking the complainants, who were mostly current or former BBC staff. A former BBC DJ has been found guilty of waging a relentless stalking campaign against broadcasters and subjecting TV presenter Jeremy Vine to an 'avalanche of hatred.' Alex Belfield was labelled . A wacky array of clothing Belfield arrives at court in August. Green says she is deeply disappointed that the BBC did not commission an independent inquiry. Why did it take so long to bring him to justice? 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. @decotheatre. %%EOF Mr Vine labelled him "the Jimmy Savile of trolling" during the trial which heard he repeatedly posted or sent abusive messages, videos and emails. 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. 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. If you can help with mounting legal costs please email alex@alexbelfield.co.uk, Uploaded by Alex Belfield at Celebrity Radio 13th March 2020. The BBC reports Alex Belfield, . Giving evidence to Nottingham Crown Court under his full name of Bernie Keith Spedding, he said his reputation is 'now in shreds' after 'proclamations of hate' and death threats, which have affected his health. Ben Hewis is perverting the course of justice. He had never gone near anyone, he insisted, and was not accused of threatening any violence. 'Once you sign up, you do what you're told': Duke of Sussex tells trauma expert Gabor Mat 'a lot of us' in the Army 'didn't necessarily agree or disagree' with the West's invasion of Afghanistan but did 'what you're trained to do'. 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.. A few weeks after he was sent to jail, most of the 7,000-plus videos Belfield posted on YouTube are still publicly accessible. Jeremy Vine suffered 'Olympic level stalking' by presenter, court hears, Alex Belfield claimed radio station had 'refused' to mention Manchester terrorist attack, Stalker Alex Belfield has shelled out '300,000 already' on his legal case, YouTube still hosts convicted stalker Alex Belfield's videos, Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield accused of stalking tells jury he is the victim of a witch-hunt, Alex Belfield was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in behind bars. 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. That he was allowed to play court reporter upset many complainants, particularly as Belfield decided not to give evidence under oath. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. The jurors accepted Belfield caused serious alarm or distress to two victims - the BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith . 2023 BBC. The effect on Keiths life was profound. Online stalkers like you have an ability to recruit an army of followers whose conduct massively expands the effect of your stalking, he said. During the trial at Nottingham Crown Court, Judge, Mr Justice Saini spoke of how BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was "seconds away" from killing himself after suffering from tsunami of hate. Why would he/they not deny it if he didnt send it? "He had no escape from you," the judge told Belfield. One of the BBC targets was Bernie Keith, a veteran presenter at BBC Radio Northampton who was once Belfields friend.