Online stalkers like you have the ability to recruit an army of followers whose conduct massively expands the effect of your stalking. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. But some of the complainants feel they never really got justice. "I had this naked hate being piled on me every day and I had to be funny and I had to entertain people," he said. However, he has also been charged with stalking Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. Belfield currently hosts the Voice of Reason YouTube channel, which has over 372,000 subscribers. After his first arrest, in June 2020, he started two crowdfunders to raise money to sue first the BBC and then Nottinghamshire police. 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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', Police appeal after stolen tools recovered, Jacksdale ferret rescue plans much-needed fundraiser, Plans for fast food outlets and a bar outside Motorpoint Arena, Huge solar farm near Gotham and East Leake recommended for approval, Community clean-up aims to improve feeling of safety in Warsop, Hucknall bus window smashed by yob with a brick, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Mr Spedding, the trial heard, was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate" from Belfield. "He said he could see their distress in court and feels deeply sorry for what he did.". This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Official YouTube stats show that www . The fact we were left unsupported from the acts of someone regarded as a prolific, now convicted, stalker is problematic. Bernard Spedding - guilty (majority verdict), Philip Dehany - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (majority verdict), Jeremy Vine - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (unanimous verdict). Find Alex Belfield's email address, contact information, LinkedIn, Twitter, other social media and more. Ex-BBC DJ guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine during 'vile' hate campaign Ben Hewis is perverting the course of justice. Bernie Keithwho presents mid-morning shows and a weekly rock 'n' roll programme on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to 'naked' hatred and false claims. Belfield also published Mr Vine's address to a "mass audience", the judge said. For just over three minutes, the 42-year-old delivered a monologue in which he said he was in prison for simply defending himself. Broadcaster Alex Belfield arrested FIVE times and strip-searched I pleaded with him [Belfield] to stop. He was found guilty of this offence in relation to two of the complainants - Mr Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer Ben Hewis. Alex Belfield How many people signed up for 1 a week is unclear, though some live streams attracted barely 300 viewers. The optics arent good former managing editor at BBC Radio Leeds Rozina Breen. Its not enough to leave us to sink and swim, as we had to in this case, Breen wrote in an email to Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBCs director of nations. At NorthantsLive we're more than just news. Sentencing Belfield, the judge said he had made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell He was terrified of you. So scared was Keith that he gave neighbours a copy of Belfields photograph, in case he decided to take his campaign of harassment offline. "He had to ask his family to watch out for you and to take care in and around their home address.". 'I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.'. Police inquiry opened Feb 2020 Nottinghamshire Police. It was a risk. That prompted Belfield to set up his secret Voice of Reason channel, which streamed behind a paywall on his website. Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield's "campaign of harassment" had left Northampton's Bernie Keith "just seconds away" from suicide. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Ex BBC DJ Alex Belfield jailed for five years for stalking Jeremy Vine 1. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But on August 5, 2022 he was found guilty of "simple stalking" regarding Vine and blogger Philip Dehany. YouTuber Alex Belfield is planning to appeal against his prison sentence for stalking four men online. alex belfield wife namemr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . . READ MORE: The cinemas in Northamptonshire showing the Queen's funeral on Monday for free, Jurors accepted Belfield caused serious alarm or distress to two victims and found him guilty of simple stalking in relation to Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter Mr Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate", the trial heard. The jurors accepted Belfield caused serious alarm or distress to two victims - the BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith . Giving evidence in court, Vine said: I have in the past had a physical stalker who followed me. dragonfly covid testing nyc. Read about our approach to external linking. Alex Belfield, a former BBC presenter, appears at Nottingham Crown Court, on 12 counts of stalking on July 29, 2021. Belfield became known across theatres as someone who would throw a tantrum if he didnt get the press tickets he wanted. Former DJ jailed for more than five years for stalking BBC Radio Belfield, a former BBC radio presenter turned YouTube free speech advocate, was deeply sorry for the hurt he had caused, said Aubrey, after Belfield was convicted of stalking Vine and three other men online. Prosecutors allege that Alex Belfield caused alarm and distress to eight victims after his contract with BBC Radio Leeds was not renewed in 2011. . The criteria for applying for an order are set out in section 1(1) of the Stalking Protection Act 2019. His anti-BBC stance soon attracted prominent support: Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen appeared on his shows and last year wrote to Priti Patel, then home secretary, to complain about what he called a BBC witch-hunt against Belfield, after one of his arrests. The judge, Mr Justice Saini, granted Belfield bail and told him to return to Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing next month. Ben Hewis refuses to engage with the police and hand over the email. The relief was temporary. Furthermore, Alex was handed two-and-a-half years for the charge concerning BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith and a consecutive two-and-a-half year sentence over the stalking charge . Bid for order to protect 10 people from stalker Alex Belfield Mr Justice Saini had sentenced Belfield to two-and-a-half years for stalking one of the complainants, Bernie Keith. In relation to Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany, Belfield was found guilty of two lesser offences of "simple" stalking, which does not require serious alarm or distress to be proved. For PR Pros Overview; Media Database . The morning of his sentencing, Belfield had sat silent in the dock at Nottingham crown court as barrister David Aubrey KC finally mitigated on his behalf. BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENT - Celebrity Radio By Alex Belfield A "cruel" former BBC local radio presenter has been jailed for five years and 26 weeks for stalking broadcasters including Jeremy Vine. Belfield has worked for over 80 radio stations in the UK. Prosecutors allege that Belfield, who hosts a radio channel on YouTube, waged a relentless nine-year campaign of stalking against eight victims, including ex-colleagues, after BBC Radio Leeds did not renew his contract in 2011. Belfield had harassed this victim, BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernard Spedding, for nine years and some of his followers had sent him death threats. Call Today! . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Why did it take so long to bring him to justice? The stalking of Mr Keith caused him serious alarm or distress. Thats when Rozina Breen, then the managing editor at BBC Radio Leeds, decided to take what she thought was a calculated chance. Prosecutors claimed Belfield subjected Vine to a relentless online campaign that included a wave of personal and unpleasant attacks on YouTube,TwitterandFacebookover an 11-month period. What will the next pandemic be? He bought his detached house in Mapperley, Nottingham, for 314,950 in October 2018, and it is mortgaged. I accept the evidence that Mr Belfield effectively followed these women by online harassment throughout their careers, said the judge. "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. Apparently jealous that Keiths BBC career carried on while his own was stymied, Belfield set about trying to ruin Keiths life using his usual weapons of YouTube, Twitter and emails. Hewis encouraged an entire industry to block me.over lies he endorsed! He took photos of Hewiss wife and young child from social media and included them in his videos, even using a picture of a foetal scan showing Hewiss unborn baby as part of his relentless email campaign of harassment. His subscriber count has dropped, but still stands at 354,000. Required fields are marked *. In September 2001 he began his career as a radio host after joining BBC Radio Leicester. Asked why it had not banned Belfield from its platform following his conviction, YouTube did not respond. Each of them suffered serious mental health problems arising from Mr Belfields conduct, he said, imposing indefinite restraining orders preventing Belfield from contacting the women. Bernie Keith confirms hes mentally ill and in therapy March 2020. Belfield rang Mr Dehanys parents home, where he was shielding during lockdown, and recorded the call for his subscribers while speaking to Mr Dehanys mother. Breen and Green both think the BBC failed all four women who gave evidence against Belfield. "Alex Belfield had no qualms about the abuse he handed out, in many cases publicly.". In October 2020, Belfield spread a false rumour that he was having an affair with a fellow BBC radio presenter, using it as part of his ongoing campaign against the national broadcaster. One day, Green says she found a talented young producer crying in the toilets after being shouted at by Belfield. He presents a YouTube channel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. Similar orders in favour of four other individuals the BBCs former head of the north Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and BBC executive Helen Thomas were also made. Regardless, the judge clearly considered him a threat. A former BBC radio presenter has been found guilty of stalking four people including broadcaster Jeremy Vine. Also speaking during the trial, describing watching Belfields video output as like swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still.. I am caught in a constant cycle of exhaustion and fatigue. Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and three Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield stalked Jeremy Vine and colleagues The judge made restraining orders on the four victims: Bernard Spedding (also known as Bernie Keith), Ben Hewis, Philip Dehany and Jeremy Vine. During his trial, the court heard from his stalking victims - including BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith. Alex Belfield arriving at Nottingham Crown Court on the day of his sentencing. Ben Hewis refuses to engage with the police and hand over the email. Port Vale F.C. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Sonic boom heard as RAF Typhoon jets escort plane, Nelson's 97th-minute stunner gives Arsenal victory. In relation to the women, the judge said: "Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. 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. YouTubers question whether stalker Alex Belfield will have sentence With an international audience via YouTube - Celebrity Radio continues to grow. =NYOn:0'tzcD|k1xKx^-58nn-~?Oo>K KJ9OVJN3>:EOLbTk*q2ScG=UrS+0t-qNXZ.3X ;{h0B. Heres Celebrity Radios BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENT. "You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell.". Belfield soon became obsessed with ruining Hewiss professional and personal life. If you can help with mounting legal costs please email alex@alexbelfield.co.uk, Uploaded by Alex Belfield at Celebrity Radio 13th March 2020. Belfield clearly resented being there, recalls Hazell He was sulking and had a face like thunder. 'Because of the tsunami of hate and threats that were coming in to me, we had to have someone else sat in the building with me.'. Friday Night is our 2nd Handbag Heaven Club Night. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken home' upbringing saying parents rowing in front of children 'is not a good idea' - but FAILS to mention William once in 90min toxic trauma chat, DONALD J TRUMP: The world has finally woken to the truth about the Wuhan virus. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? All Rights Reserved. By the time Belfield began tormenting Dehany in 2020 he had become a successful YouTuber who could have been earning up to 528,000 a year, according to Social Blade, a website that monitors social media channels. He was found guilty of this offence in relation to only two of the complainants - BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer Ben Hewis. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Stalking Bernard Spedding (known as Bernie Keith) between 25 November 2012 and 2 April 2017, and between 3 April 2017 and 31 March 2021. . Presenter Iain Lee has since come out to say Belfield targeted him for many years, but that he was too frightened to go to court to give evidence. In Mr Keiths case, the abuse was sustained over nine years, with the judge saying he had no escape from Belfield, who made up and repeated a wholly false and scandalous allegation about his former friend. It was a nine-year obsession, which saw him make what the judge described as the false and scandalous accusation that Keith regularly had sex in public on gay beaches with strangers. The email contained 7 blatant (easily disprovable) malicious lies. His voice breaking with emotion, Mr Keith added: 'That removes the hope from my life that I will ever be free of this man. All he had done, he suggested, was challenge people who had said things I believed to be untrue. Mr Justice Saini added: "You made communications which had serious impacts on the private lives of the complaints and had distressing effects on their physical and mental health.''. Former BBC local radio DJ Alex Belfield has been found guilty of four . Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield jailed for stalking Jeremy Vine and other Full statement on legal action & police inquiry BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis. Hewis tweet and email vindictively intended to destroy my career and reputation. Steven J Miller, another YouTuber, explained Belfields initial appeal in his own video, recorded after Belfield was jailed: Alex Belfield was responsible for putting smiles on thousands and thousands of peoples faces and he did that not by slagging people off but by him being him. People loved Belfields innuendos, said Miller, giving an example of when Belfield filmed himself on a train platform as a train whizzed by and exclaimed: Oh, I nearly got sucked off!. Jeremy Vine arriving at Nottingham Crown Court in July. alex belfield wife name. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Corporate Lawfare and Stalking. Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for stalking four colleagues including BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. He told the jury he was seconds away from killing himself. Your email address will not be published. %PDF-1.7 % Toggle primary navigation. The sentences on each charge Belfield was convicted on: Count 5: BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - Belfield has been given two-and-half years in prison on count 5; Count 6: Videographer Ben Hewis, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - the sentence is consecutive to the previous term for the stalking of Mr Keith. is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.The club was formed in the late 1870s and in 1884 they took the name Burslem Port Vale, dropping the 'Burslem' prefix in 1907. 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Jail Time Awaits Former BBC Radio Presenter Convicted of Stalking American mom living in Paris mesmerizes internet after revealing the VERY surprising after-school snack kids eat in France. 2023 BBC. Green blames the BBC for the not-guilty verdicts: The reason I believe the court didnt find him guilty on our charges though we will never know what the jury was thinking was because the BBC allowed it to go on for so long. It was classic Belfield. Belfields final BBC target was Vine, who made the mistake of responding after learning that Belfield had called him and fellow broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire cunts online. He said there was no escape for Belfields victims until bail conditions were imposed ahead of his trial, and agreed with Mr Vines characterisation that the ex-DJ had weaponised the internet against his targets. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Bernie Keith who presents mid-morning shows on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to 'naked' hatred and false claims. After 6 months the BBC REFUSE to defend Bernie Keith and deny he sent it after 100+ emails. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. Mr Belfield was today sentenced to five years and 26 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court. Something went wrong, please try again later. Ex-BBC presenter guilty of stalking broadcasters including Jeremy Vine and Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. The Guardian asked Bridgen if he regretted supporting Belfield and did not receive a response. . 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. How much money Belfield made in recent years is unclear. 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. Ben Hewis is a videographer who works in the theatre and wedding industries and Philip Dehany was a rival theatre blogger. and BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. 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. A cruel former BBC local radio presenter who stalked broadcasters including TV's Jeremy Vine and BBC Northampton's Bernie Keith has been jailed for more than five years. YouTuber Alex Belfield handed five-and-a-half-year prison sentence The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. Ben Hewis intended to destroy my life, reputation and career. Green says she is deeply disappointed that the BBC did not commission an independent inquiry. But Breen thought he would bring personality to the station. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. 562 0 obj <> endobj The judge referred to the victims graphic and distressing evidence in court about the impact of Belfields campaign of harassment, and how he had been just seconds away from dying by suicide. The women were told: The aim of the review is to provide recommendations to the BBC on how it can best support colleagues facing online stalking or significant social media harassment.. Alex Belfield: YouTuber plans appeal against stalking jail sentence Stalker Alex Belfield has bid for leave to appeal sentence refused I dont think that stuff even bothered him.. hbbd```b``"H %&jv`8Z`` Hy |AAg%@ !CI JDK-8141210 : Very slow loading of JavaScript file with recent JDK 0 Horrific, vicious, cowardly.". A few months in, alarm bells started to ring, remembers Liz Green, who presented the lunchtime show that followed Belfields each day. At first, he grew his audience with silly sketches and phone-ins, railing against government Covid policy, particularly the ban on care-home visits. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The eight complainants hoped to never hear from their tormenter again, only to discover that he had arranged for that one final, defiant video to go live after the judge sent him down, goading them from beyond his prison walls. Count 5: BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, guilty of stalking to cause alarm and distress - Belfield has been given two-and-half years in prison on count 5; @decotheatre. More videos coming soon.. Alex Belfield and Katie Hopkins in a video on her YouTube channel, advertising the show they did together. ', After describing how he had considered taking his own life, he told the jury: 'I just couldn't do it. That he was allowed to play court reporter upset many complainants, particularly as Belfield decided not to give evidence under oath. When not filming himself he would address his camera operator as Tarquin. \Mb+r'rS~(aU\voP GCK16X0v04p62h,3 0b``f:(x3j=)\-u`IL! Green was having none of it: I went up to him and I said: You are a grade-A wanker. She stands by that description, but came to regret making an enemy of someone who turned out to be a herculean grudge-holder. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. I am offensive My human right allows me to speak words that are not to everyones taste, he told the jury. Four women, past and previous BBC DJs and executives, had also accused Belfield of stalking them via email and social media, but the jury found him not guilty on those charges. We were the learning curve for Belfield. Peers in show business blocked me including @BazBam (#1 print journo) calling me abhorrent in reply to the Hewis published LIES. Instantly disprovable lies published by Ben Hewis. Bernie confirms on air they think hes bonkers & loony toons. The Court of Appeal has confirmed Belfield has made an application for permission to appeal his sentence, but said this is "still in the very early stages of the process". >? = www.jobunion.org He presents aYouTubechannel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. 27 febrero, 2023 . Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis . Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. ?99 WVdb5KckkVQg;E!qr 0^^jY{EILg%)%4BfyCyvy) "I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.". The post was shared shortly before 3pm on Friday, March 3, and has already had more than 200 responses. One of the BBC targets was Bernie Keith, a veteran presenter at BBC Radio Northampton who was once Belfields friend. Belfield looked pale as he was led down to the cells as more than 20 of his supporters watched silently from the public gallery. Mr Vine faced a torrent of abuse online, including thousands of social media messages from Belfields followers and personal threats. The judge told Belfield he will serve up to half of his sentence in prison and the remainder on licence. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. Aaron Sidwell was smart enough to retract his comments immediately: Phillip Dehany refuses to delete his post/vlog repeating the lies and endorsing Hewis. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", .