"Blocking was also a futile exercise as Belfield continued to seek out new ways to get to me when others failed. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Mr Belfield's former boss at BBC Radio Leeds, Rozina Breen, previously said in her evidence that Mr Belfield's one-year contract had not been renewed, and he had harassed her since then. "The Crown makes no submission that the overall sentence was, given the new knowledge of the legal position, inappropriate or unduly lenient," said Mr Justice Saini at Leicester Crown Court. Jeremy Vine arriving at Nottingham Crown Court in July. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. [6] On 29 July he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court and was alleged to have stalked eight people between November 2012 and March 2021, including BBC staff members Stephanie Hirst and Jeremy Vine. Each of them suffered serious mental health problems arising from Mr Belfield's conduct," he said. Alex Belfield: Former BBC presenter jailed for stalking She became much more hesitant on air because of Mr Belfield. [2] His career has spanned television, radio and print. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. A statement from the BBC press office said: "We know this has been very difficult for those involved and we continue to provide support to current and former staff. Officers from the forces public protection team took detailed accounts from the complainants and interviewed several other key witnesses. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. "Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case who have shown enormous courage and dignity in coming forward to give evidence in public. "He now has developed the insight that he didn't have before," Mr Aubrey said. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. "Alex Belfield: Former BBC presenter denies stalking charges", "Alex Belfield latest: who is the Voice of Reason YouTuber and what he said on Twitter about the BBC and arrests", "Former Mansfield 103.2 presenter Alex Belfield summonsed to court on stalking allegations", "Ex-BBC DJ guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other former colleagues", "Alex Belfield summonsed in relation to stalking offence", "Sexist Alex Belfield videos still on YouTube despite prison sentence", "Ex-BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield jailed for stalking Jeremy Vine and others", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alex_Belfield&oldid=1148461422, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 April 2023, at 08:54. "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.". or. You will be treated with dignity and sensitivity and we will do everything we can to support you.. I am a great, passionate supporter of public broadcasting but what these women have suffered from the BBC is unacceptable.". "Nobody wants to be exposed. "We want an independent inquiry to look at what the BBC did or didn't do for this group of really excellent employees," he said. Because Mr Belfield was not giving evidence, some of the claims he made during his closing speech could not be challenged by the prosecution by way of cross-examination. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Belfield had harassed this victim, BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernard Spedding, for nine years and some of his followers had sent him death threats. "The stalking you committed was not the conventional type which is popularised in the press," he said. "We are going to start with this group who took action against this man and we may find there are other people in the BBC that were treated in this way and left with no support. INRAE center Clermont-Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes The presenter. "You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell.". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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', Nottinghamshire firefighters get trauma packs in response to Manchester Arena inquiry, Illegal weapon found under sink in search for suspect, New recruit Sarah set to open the doors to Ashfield companys growth, Worksop pub and kitchen plans fun day to celebrate King's coronation, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. To protect the history, the street even has it's own historical group known as the Mill Gate Conservation Group. She has had to develop coping mechanisms to ensure that she suffers no more emotional harm.". CONFIRMED DC Janet Percival Is A Corrupt Liar . "For him to associate me with Jimmy Savile is unthinkable.". Belfield went on to create his own online show called "The Voice of Reason" on YouTube to promote his anti-establishment ideology. An MP is calling for an independent inquiry into how the BBC treated female staff who were "trolled unmercifully" by radio presenter Alex Belfield. The criteria for applying for an order are set out in section 1(1) of the Stalking Protection Act 2019. A trial jury, however, disagreed and convicted him of seven counts of gross indecency with a child under the age of 14 and a further seven counts of indecent assault against a child under 14. The term again is two-and-half years; Count 7: Theatre blogger Philip Dehany, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simple stalking - Belfield received a consecutive sentence of 13 weeks. "Human rights allows me to have free speech in this country, until you are given bail conditions where you cannot speak.". The arrest on Thursday is not the first time Mr. May Bank Holiday supermarket opening times for Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Tesco and more, Leeds United considering major decision in Nottingham Forest relegation fight. Alex Belfield Comments on his latest issue | Nottingham Online After a campaign of harassment against multiple victims, Alex Belfield was jailed last week. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. Everyone has a right to an opinion and a right to express that opinion forcefully if they wish, but our case has always been that what Belfield was doing went way beyond that.". The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. His YouTube channel remains live. Nottingham Celebrity Radio Alex Belfield Talks about Court . For each of these offences he was sentenced to 13 weeks, also to run consecutively. Apology To PC - Alex Belfield - The Voice Of Reason Live | Facebook Former DJ turned Youtube star sues police over BBC allegations We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. She says his abuse was ferocious and relentless. Read about our approach to external linking. Belfield is accused of leading a "campaign of harassment" against individuals after being let go by the BBC. I find in relation to Ms Breen and Ms Thomas abusive emails running into thousands were sent over about a 10-year period. Stephanie Hirst, who transitioned from a male to a female in 2014, went onto present the same radio show Belfield had on BBC Radio Leeds after his contract was not renewed. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the comfy rooms . "I have to say to all members of this house, we have a responsibility too in how we conduct ourselves on social media, and when we see colleagues - even if they are on the opposite side of the house - suffering similar abuse, we all have a duty to step in and ask that that desist.". @hegan_steve . The judge made restraining orders on the four victims: Bernard Spedding (also known as Bernie Keith), Ben Hewis, Philip Dehany and Jeremy Vine. The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. He said since leaving the BBC he had written articles for national newspapers about money being wasted by the organisation, and claimed he had "bought my house" with the money he earned doing this. Alex Belfield (born 1979 or 1980)[1] is an English former radio presenter for BBC Radio Leeds who was dismissed for misconduct. A civil stalking order is being pursued at the magistrates' court against former BBC DJ Alex Belfield, from Mapperley, who is now serving a sentence of more than five years in prison for his shameful conduct online. 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". The judge said Belfield had made "wholly false" allegations about Mr Vine stealing 1,000 of BBC licence payers' money, in a video which was viewed by more than 400,000 people. "Despite four women not securing guilty verdicts, today's custodial sentences are a welcome relief," she wrote. The 42-year-old Belfield represented himself during the trial but declined to give evidence in his defence. He also said some of the emails were sent to the BBC press office in order to get responses to stories he worked on, and were "all 100% legitimate journalism". In relation to Ms Green there were hundreds of emails. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Belfield, who previously presented a show for BBC Radio Leeds, was labelled the Jimmy Savile of trolling and he subjected TV presenter Jeremy Vine to an "avalanche of hatred". He complained about his treatment by police. Anjali Harikumar - Grenoble, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France - LinkedIn Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. She said: "We were BBC employees doing our jobs, targeted because we were in those jobs. Thomas Watkinson was arrested in 2019 following historic allegations, Never miss a crime story with our free email updates. Stalking Rozina Breen between 25 November 2012 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Liz Green between 25 November 2012 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Helen Thomas between 25 November 2012 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Stephanie Hirst between 1 June 2017 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Bernard Spedding between 25 November 2012 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Ben Hewis between 29 September 2019 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Philip Dehany between 3 November 2019 and 31 March 2021, Stalking Jeremy Vine between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021. See more of Alex Belfield - The Voice Of Reason Live on Facebook. Today at 1:44 AM. [9] During the course of the court proceedings Belfield appeared to intimate he was a member of the LGBTQ community.[8]. 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"What possible reason could Jeremy Vine have said this in front of you other than to destroy me and get the headline of the century, which he did?" The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Mr Belfield was arrested on March 27 after he was blamed for an alleged bomb hoax at the BBC. He later described his time at Radio Leeds as "the worst year of my life". Alex Belfield: Former BBC presenter 'stalked fellow broadcasters' Ms Green, who worked with Belfield at BBC Radio Leeds, said on Wednesday: "My mental health has been destroyed. CONFIRMED DC - Alex Belfield - The Voice Of Reason Live | Facebook Alex Belfield was convicted of four charges following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court A former BBC radio presenter found guilty of stalking four people including broadcaster Jeremy Vine has. Mr Justice Saini had sentenced Belfield to two-and-a-half years for stalking one of the complainants, Bernie Keith. However, he claims he had legitimate reasons for doing so, and has a right to freedom of speech. His trial heard he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, sent emails, and also encouraged his followers to target them. Read about our approach to external linking. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Mr Belfield read out what are known as "agreed facts", which are facts agreed as evidence by the prosecution. We are aware of the Court proceedings you refer to. His planned appeal has now been mentioned in court by the trial judge, at a hearing which related to an error made when Belfield was sentenced. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. A YouTube video by a man accused of stalking was considered by an ex-BBC radio presenter as being "a hurtful parody". READ MORE:Nottingham man Alex Belfield appears in court on harassment charges. Watkinson denied that any of the offences had happened and claimed his accusers were making them up. Nottingham Police New Boss @carolinenotts SACKS Deputy . Ms Hirst then heard the broadcast. "He was seconds away from taking his own life as a result of your conduct," the judge, Mr Justice Saini, told Belfield. As punishment, Belfield was suspended from the station for a day and strongly reprimanded by BBC bosses. Two days have been set aside to hear the application at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on March 7. 3. (The person to be protected does not have to have been the victim of the acts mentioned above. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. The arrest was the fifth time Mr Belfield has been arrested by Nottinghamshire Police in the last 18 months after a series of complaints made against him by the BBC or its employees. He was responsible for stories on the front pages of The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express. I want to encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to come forward and report it to us. Heartbreaking family struggles faced by crime boss who 'messed up', CCTV images released after 'man chased with weapon in street', Serviceman killed after head on collision with bus, Julie Bindel raises nearly 40,000 in bid to sue Nottingham City Council, Nottingham man appears in court charged with murder of 11-year-old boy, Stephanie Hirst, pictured during a radio industry awards ceremony (Lia Toby/PA). Something went wrong, please try again later. He told jurors he had been arrested five times, strip-searched in order to "humiliate" him, and his house had been "raided" three times by Nottinghamshire Police. [7] He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison; before sentencing "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'. "Although Watkinsons despicable actions will always remain with them, I do hope that this very long sentence can bring them a sense of closure. To protect the history, the street even has it's own historical group known as the Mill Gate Conservation Group. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Belfield had previously objected to this hateful conduct, but, following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, he was convicted of four counts of stalking. "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. The former BBC radio presenter was jailed for five-and-a-half years after being convicted in September. 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. [3], Belfield went on to claim online fame through his YouTube channel called The Voice of Reason. Judges are able to vary sentences under section 385 of the Sentencing Act 2020, but the judge decided not to. According to the agreed facts, there was an internal BBC investigation in relation to correspondence Ms Green received from Mr Belfield. ", Cars getting scraped as bins put out in middle of street, Dad heartbroken as son returns home with tally of bullying on his hands, Evangelos Marinakis criticised as Nottingham Forest owner 'has not helped' Steve Cooper, Carvery defends move to not offer kids meals to 'elderly' customers, Council steps in to save 36m housing scheme as Notts company ceases trading. [3], On 18 June 2021 Belfield was summonsed to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court, where he was charged with 12 counts of stalking "involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress" on 1 July. Nottingham - Alex Belfield - The Voice Of Reason Live | Facebook "From his very first email and in the majority of communications thereafter, he used my wife and children as his main weapon to terrify, intimidate and blackmail me," he wrote. 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 Belfield, from. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. "I do believe there were catastrophic failings with regards to us in terms of duty of care and our health and safety and, as such, have asked for an independent review.". He also said that only 29 emails were produced as evidence by the prosecution. She replied from the witness box: "Absolutely, it was a parody of me". Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Ms Breen said Mr Belfield had sent up to 6,000 emails to the BBC, but Mr Belfield said it was "a lie and ludicrous" to suggest he had sent so many. Alex Belfield, who now runs a YouTube channel, stalked his victims by harassing them online. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trevelyan relative 'would consider' famine payment, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. A former BBC radio presenter accused of stalking eight people including Jeremy Vine has told jurors he is the victim of a witch-hunt. The charges cover a time period of more than eight years, and are as follows: The trial began on 5 July and has heard evidence from the complainants and numerous other prosecution witnesses. TV is dead long live Alex. The court heard the original application was amended to add two more people who did not form part of the criminal trial. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Alex Belfield Sues The Chief Constable of Nottingham PolicePlease support Alex Belfied here on his channel link - https://www.youtube.com/user/alexbelfieldBBC TV LicenseNottingham Chief ConstableMeghan MarklePrince HarryPiers MorganClick Here to Subscribe to our channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRg_8u69-hQlE4EGWrW4teA?sub_confirmation=1 Check out our other Political or UK current affairs playlistsUk Political Interviewshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3rgf8Cyij2WJv0nsegtSo2ynGsNrX6m4Political Discussionshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3rgf8Cyij2XOsMWPqkCYmsn4SXcbmm0eUk Political Podcastshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3rgf8Cyij2VYzivLEILcQdigddudVbDR In the Lyon and Grenoble metropolitan areas, and the Haute-Savoie department, INRAE units contribute to research activities at the Lyon-Saint-Etienne, Grenoble-Alpes, and Savoie Mont Blanc . Send your story ideas to [email protected]. 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. Alas, Alex Belfield has been found guilty of the relentless stalking of other broadcasters, including Jeremy Vine, who he subjected to an "avalanche of hatred". Mr Belfield criticised Jeremy Vine's evidence, which he described as "the cleverest razzle dazzle I've ever seen". Man dies in serious crash that closed road for hours, Almost 1,000 damage caused to car in eight months on town centre road, "There are always cars parked without permits which leads to a severe lack of parking and an extremely busy street". Rozina Breen, who was also harassed by Belfield, left the BBC in May to become CEO and editor-in-chief for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Victim personal statements were not read out in court, but Mr Hewis tweeted his after the sentencing. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Belfield, from Nottingham, . The latest Nottingham Forest news as the Leeds board are said to have been in discussions following the 4-1 defeat against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. "They put me in a cell for talking," he said. However, a spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: Mr Bellfield remains subject of a live criminal investigation. "Bearing in mind the need for an overall proportionate sentence and the principle of totality, I am not satisfied that my final overall sentence of five years and 26 weeks would have been substantially higher had I been made aware of the correct legal position on count 5 [the charge relating to Bernie Keith].". As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The former BBC radio presenter was jailed for five-and-a-half years after being convicted. Belfield went on to create his own online show called "The Voice of Reason" on YouTube to promote his anti-establishment ideology. The judge Mr Justice Saini told jurors that Mr Belfield had "introduced things" that had not been heard in evidence, and they "must disregard those" when deciding whether or not he is guilty. 2023 BBC. The BBC has said it is conducting an internal review "to establish what lessons can be learned" from the Belfield case. Labour MP Barry Sheerman is calling for an independent inquiry into how the BBC treated female staff who were harassed online by Belfield. Mr Belfield until Nottinghamshire Police became involved in late . The trial previously heard he was given a job presenting the mid-morning programme on the station in spring 2010. "Is it time we got the Department of Culture, Media and Sport secretary here? Is climate change killing Australian wine? Earlier this month, ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield was jailed for stalking and harassment. 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. "Your methods were, however, just as effective as a way of intimidating your victims, and were in many ways much harder to deal with.". Four days later, Belfied is alleged to have uploaded a video onto YouTube, which did not name her. However, as this case makes clear, stalking can also take other more invasive forms. He now runs a YouTube channel called The Voice of Reason, but he told jurors he had previously worked for the BBC for 15 years. [1], Belfield was convicted in September 2022 for four of eight stalking charges at Nottingham Crown Court. The Clermont-Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes Centre brings together the units located in the Auvergne region, from Bourbonnais to Aurillac via Clermont-Ferrand, with 14 research units and 14 experimental facilities, representing 840 staff (permanent and contractual staff). 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Log In. However, Mr Belfield told jurors he was in fact bullied by Ms Green and said he was "the victim". S Heegan. May Bank Holiday supermarket opening times for Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Tesco and more, Leeds United considering major decision in Nottingham Forest relegation fight. 2023 BBC. To protect the history, the street even has it's own historical group known as the Mill Gate Conservation Group. Alex Belfield - The Voice Of Reason Live Yesterday at 10:56 AM Day 13 Court Report R v Alex Belfield BBC Northampton DJ Berna . This is people driven into mental health breakdowns with no support, by an employer that obviously didn't care.". Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast, and 24-hour room service. In relation to the women, the judge said: "Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. Count 8: Jeremy Vine, not guilty to stalking to cause alarm and distress but guilty to simply stalking - Belfield has been sentenced to 13 weeks consecutively for stalking Mr Vine. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "[8] The judge noted that while Belfield acknowledged the distress he caused the victims, he showed more concern during the proceedings about being treated unfairly and how the process impacted him (Belfield) personally.