Thomas Brown, 35, has been handed a lifetime restraining order

stokesentinel Administrator

06:00, 23 Jan 2026

Thomas Brown, aged 35, was jailed for 51 months after he pleaded guilty to stalking causing serious alarm or distress.(Image: )

Dad-of-three Thomas Brown has been jailed for stalking a woman. The 35-year-old goaded his victim and bombarded her with messages.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the contact was persistent and unwelcome and caused the woman extreme anxiety. Now Brown has been jailed for 51 months.

Prosecutor Edmund Potts said the defendant began to contact his victim on April 8 last year. Mr Potts said: “She received a call from a number she did not recognise. She feared it may be the defendant. She asked a friend to return the call. The defendant answered the phone.”

Ten days later, on April 18, she received messages from someone called Fred. Mr Potts said: “He called her a slapper. The defendant sent messages from at least two different Kik platforms. They were not abusive or threatening but were persistent or unwelcome.”

The court heard the defendant was arrested on April 29 and answered no comment to all questions in his police interview.

Mr Potts added: “The defendant’s contact over the weeks caused the victim extreme anxiety. She remains in fear of further contact from him.”

Brown, of Wellfield Road, Bucknall, pleaded guilty to stalking, causing serious alarm or distress, between April 7 and April 29, 2025.

Robert Holt, mitigating, said Brown had nothing of a similar nature on his record. Mr Holt said: “He accepts he had consumed alcohol. It acted as a disinhibitor. He accepts fully he should not have gone down that road.

“It took place over 22 days. I would ask you to consider that the time served already is sufficient to punish him.”

Judge Richard McConaghy made Brown the subject of a restraining order which prevents him contacting his victim for life. Judge McConaghy said: “You stalked her. You created fake online accounts and bombarded her with messages.

“You taunted her. Your attitude in your pre-sentence report was appalling. Your intention was to cause serious distress. She suffered very serious distress. It is so serious only immediate custody can be imposed.”

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