Prison for serial stalker
27 Jul 06
Man banned from contact with any lone female sentenced to four months
A serial stalker banned from contacting any lone woman in Scotland has been sentenced to four months in prison.
In separate incidents Robert Basterfield, 34, of Perth, had intimidated two women by following them. An interim interdict banning Basterfield from approaching any lone woman was granted to Tayside Chief Constable John Vine last week. It is the first time in Scotland that such an order has been issued.
Basterfield was jailed for stalking one woman while he was on bail and awaiting sentencing for a similar offence.
Sheriff Michael Fletcher said Basterfield's attitude to women had to change as he did not appear to think he had done anything wrong. Reports from social workers, a psychiatrist and a psychologist indicated that there was high risk he would reoffend.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Basterfield had followed Maria Dominguez through a park and several streets, although she had repeatedly asked him to leave her alone. He had tried to hold her hand, placed his arm around her shoulders and demanded her mobile phone number.
Australian-born Basterfield, who has a dual nationality passport and fled Sydney three years ago after being convicted of a similar offence, was on bail after admitting stalking Victoria Keiro. Police had discovered photographs of her and details of her movements in his home. Yesterday, Basterfield was also sentenced for that offence, with Sheriff Fletcher deferring his decision until November.
Police have been given the power under the Sex Offenders Act 2003 to arrest Basterfield if he is found in the company of a woman or female child. He has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.