by A fitness instructor started stalking a man and accused him of rape when their ‘casual’ relationship broke down and he returned to his wife.
Rebecca Hooper, 43, and Brian Townsend, 47, made their victim’s life “hell” after friends and family contacted him claiming he raped Hooper and branding him a “predator”. Townsend also turned up at the victim’s home and workplace and placed trackers on his car.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard that Hooper met the victim at the Bridgend Life Center where she worked and they began a “casual relationship” which he described as “friends with benefits”. But the relationship ended after he got back together with his wife.
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Prosecutor Christopher Evans said Hooper called the victim and asked to resume their previous sexual relationship and sent texts many times a day. She would comment on Facebook posts related to her son and was looking at photos going back years. The victim’s wife received a friend request from the defendant and commented on his posts, reports WalesOnline.
Because of his behavior, the victim blocked Hooper on social media and WhatsApp and from sending messages to his phone. She told him that her partner Townsend had found messages between them and was “upset” about it. The victim told her he had nothing to do with him and ended the call but began receiving abusive calls from Townsend who accused him of rape.
In June 2023, Townsend turned up at the victim’s home and spoke to his adult daughter, shouted abuse at her, and referred to her father as a “sexual predator”. Hooper’s mother also called the victim and accused him of forcing her daughter to have sex with him. Two of the victim’s friends received messages from Hooper asking for his address and his partner’s details.
One day the victim discovered that a van tire had been deliberately punctured and two weeks later a colleague saw Hooper tampering with the victim’s van. When the van was checked it was found to have a tracking device registered to Townsend which collected information such as coordinates and speeds.
The victim’s wife later received a letter from Hooper in which she stated that she had mental health problems and accused the victim of rape. She was upset and the victim felt his “stomach sink” after being told of the accusation.
Hooper went on to make an online report to the Metropolitan Police who passed the matter on to South Wales Police. The victim was arrested and interviewed but no further action was taken. The victim vehemently denied the charges and the court had no suggestion that he had done anything wrong.
After he was released from custody the victim continued to receive abuse from the defendants with both driving over the victim on separate occasions and sticking their fingers at him. Van tires were further vandalized and the victim was fined for failing to attend swimming lessons, which Hooper had unbeknownst to him.
Mr Evans said: “This behavior caused [the victim] extreme distress and paranoia. He was constantly looking out for them. He began to travel in different ways and made his journeys longer than usual.
“He deactivated social media accounts so the defendants could not contact him and stopped attending his son’s pool, gym and rugby matches. The rape complaint has deeply affected him and his family.”
The defendants, both of Llangewydd Avenue, Bryntirion, Wales, were arrested in October 2023. Both made denials in interview but both later pleaded guilty to stalking. The court heard that they were both previously of good character.
In a personal victim statement read by the victim, the victim said: “The last 12 months have been hell for me and my family. The suffering we will continue to deal with today and beyond. I don’t think we will ever get over this horrible crime, which i never wanted to go through emotionally i am broken.
“She accused me of rape – this is not true and it was shown in the outcome of that investigation but it will still be mud. It breaks my heart every day worrying about what people might say as a result on their actions.
“I’m always looking over my shoulder and paranoid. Me and my partner rarely go out in public very rarely we ask if people know us, what they have been told, and if they will say anything to us. Our standard of living has been greatly affected. Our whole lives were forced to change, he violated our safe space and my home was abused.”
In mitigation the court heard that Hooper has mental health problems and is suspected of having neurodiversity challenges but has not been diagnosed. Her barrister Giles Hayes said she was unable to cope with the end of the relationship and described her behavior as “dangerous and irresponsible”. Townsend was said to have accepted his feelings of being “overpowered” and that his behavior was “unacceptable”.
Sentencing, Recorder Neil Owen-Casey described Hooper’s behavior as “an extreme reaction to the breakdown of a relationship”. He said: “There is no point of remorse I’m afraid is absent in this case.”
Hooper was given a 16 month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 12 days of mental health requirement, 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement, pay £500 compensation and £500 costs . 150.
Townsend was also given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years and subject to a four-month curfew and ordered to pay £500 compensation and £150 costs. Both defendants were subject to restraining orders for 10 years.
