‘Thank you to police officers’ patience and understanding when I felt scared and their instant return when I dialled 999′-Praise for East Area officers as stalker found guilty.

‘DC Abdull Balde has been exceptional in his communication with me throughout this case. He has always responded to my phone calls and emails with care and empathy.’

 A victim of a stalker who was harassed over a period of days has spoken out about her experience.

Stephen Eden appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court on 14 May where he was sentenced to prison for 12 weeks suspended for 18 months, with a five year restraining order granted by the court ending in 2029.

A report was made to police on in January this year alleging that Eden had turned up repeatedly at a 53 year-old female victim home address.

Following an investigation by detectives from the Met’s East Area Command, Eden was charged on 26 January with Stalking. He was remanded in police custody for court and later put on court bail to attend on the 17 April at Romford Magistrate’s Court where he was found guilty for stalking.

Following sentencing the victim said: “I strongly feel the need to express my appreciation to the Metropolitan Police for taking such great care of me throughout this journey, which has resulted in a conviction of stalking.

Firstly, thank you to the officers who attended my home on the 24 January, who were approachable, making it easy for me to be honest and open about the abuse I had been experiencing in my relationship. They showed patience and understanding when I felt scared to make a statement, despite them encouraging and reassuring me that I would be protected. Their instant return when I dialled 999 that same day made the path to making a formal statement an easier transition.

DC Abdull Balde has been exceptional in his communication with me throughout this case. He has always responded to my phone calls/emails with care and empathy. He has reached out with welfare calls and words of reassurance, when my fear was overwhelming. He has always listened to my concerns, despite the long hours of work. I believe he even logged on when on annual leave to ensure the work was completed on this case.

When DC Balde was on leave, another officer T/DC Thomas Huckle covered his role. I understand he is new within this department, yet he always helped with my queries, taking time to find out if he didn’t have the immediate answer. His prompt replies and the investigation of a suspect outside my house made me able to stay within my own home just prior to the trial.

The Detective Constable responsible for Clare’s Law disclosure understood and recognised my distress. She encouraged me to make a further Victim Impact Statement, and seek help from my own GP. She even called me that evening to check that I was ok. She also went out of her way to try to protect the perpetrators new partner who was potentially at risk.

Thank you to A/Detective Inspector Matt Dennahy and another Detective Sergeant who recognised the abuse from the words in my statement and felt it appropriate to refer to CPS. By keeping the suspect on remand and achieving court bail, this prevented him returning to my home. It meant I could finally end this abusive relationship, which I had tried to leave on several occasions before.

This process has made me understand fear, how disabling it can be, and how irrational it can make your thought process. The professionalism with which all the police officers have treated me has been outstanding. I could not have completed this journey to trial without you all.

I can now look to a brighter future. Forever grateful to you all for getting my freedom back.”

Detective Inspector Lee Gordon said: “On behalf of Public Protection, this is a fantastic collective result – highlighting the importance of pursuing domestic abusers whilst they are in Police custody. We couldn’t be prouder of the team’s efforts, securing the conviction of a persistent stalker. The victim can now breathe a sigh of relief and begin a new life away from her tormentor.”

We encourage anyone suffering domestic abuse to come forward and you can report via the websitewww.met.police.uk in an emergency, always dial 999.”

If you are worried about someone concealing an abusive past, we can help. The Domestic Violence Disclosure scheme (Clare’s Law) enables the police to release information about any previous history of violence or abuse a person might have. To find out more, visit www.met.police.uk

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