Admin I Monday, April 29, 2024
LONDON – A man who relentlessly stalked a woman and her family was brought to justice after a Met investigation into his seven year campaign of harassment and threats.
Shaheen Chishti, 54, of Foxglove Street, W12 met the victim at work in 2016 where he pursued a pattern of sexual harassment through email and social media platforms.
The victim reported a chain of unwanted emails and messages to the police, and Chishti was handed a police caution in December 2016. However, he continued to message the victim on social media and from multiple phone numbers.
The victim was contacted again by Chishti in September 2022 while she was at work. He used a work application to inform her that he kept hold of her personal details which he obtained as a former employee at the company.
The following year Chishti contacted the victim’s mother and shared explicit details of sexual acts that he intended to carry out and made threats to throw the victim into water as he knew she could not swim.
The victim notified the police that Chishti breached his conditions on 23 January 2023, and informed officers that he would be returning to the UK from India. Local police officers arrested him as he landed in the UK and seized two mobile phones, before he was bailed under investigation. He was given strict conditions not to contact the victim.
Officers continued to investigate and build a case against Chishti. They downloaded the content on the phones and found the extensive list of messages from Chishti to the victim, including a large number of threats to both her and her family over a seven year period.
Despite his new conditions, Chishti continued to communicate with the victim and was arrested on 5 October 2023.
He was found guilty of stalking with fear of violence and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on Wednesday, 24 April, at Isleworth Crown Court.
Police Constable Helen Constantinou, one of the officers responsible for policing Hammersmith & Fulham, said: “Officers worked hard to ensure that Chishti faced justice for the persistent stalking and harassment he inflicted on his victim.
“We know that some stalking victims are scared to come forward to report these crimes to the police. However, I would encourage anyone who believes they are being stalked or harassed to report this to the police or the National Stalking Helpline. This result shows we can and will pursue those who break the law and ensure those at risk are kept safe.”
According to the Met Police, Officers and partner organisations such as the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will continue to work together to ensure that they are supporting victims of stalking and harassment and keeping them safe.
“Protecting women and girls from violence and predatory men will continue to be a key priority for the Met. We are committed to tackling sexual offenders and improving women and girls’ safety in order to rebuild trust across London. Read the ten-point action plan here which explains how officers will pursue predatory offenders and make spaces safer.
“As part of A New Met for London plan, the Met is doing more to build trust and support London’s communities on issues that impact them the most. The Met is putting more people and focus into the teams protecting women and children from violence and going after predatory men who commit those crimes”, Met said in a statement.
