1. DAILYMIRROR SATURDAY 31.05.20144 DMUULS
ralliesbackminorities
afterspateofattacksBy Lisa Smyth
ASERIESofralliesandmeetingshave
been planned to highlight the
mounting public outrage at racist
attacks in Northern Ireland.
The first demonstration is due to
start at noon today outside Belfast
City Hall.
It follows racist hate attacks on
homesacrossthecityinrecentweeks
and a row over comments made by
First Minister Peter Robinson is
support of Pastor James McConnell.
Organisers of today’s event said:
“Attacks on migrants are shaming. A
clear rise in racial prejudice is
shaming. Widespread and growing
Islamophobia is shaming.
“The fact that Anna Lo is
now considering leaving
Northern Ireland due to
racism, that’s shaming –
but shame isn’t enough.
“It’s time to show some
solidarityandsupportfor
Belfast’s migrants
andethnicminor-
ities.”OnTuesday
Alliance MLA Ms Lo, pictured, will
joinotherpoliticians,tradeunionists
andmembersoftheIslamiccommu-
nity at a public meeting to discuss
the problem at the Holiday Inn on
Belfast’s Ormeau Road at 7pm.
And a major march against
racism in the city next Saturday
has been announced by Amnesty
International,theNorthernIreland
CommitteeoftheIrishCongress
of Trade Unions and the
NorthernIrelandCouncilfor
Ethnic Minorities.
STALKER TERROR OF TV RACHEL
weresentbetween
October2012and
May 2013.
In January
last year para-
noid schizo-
phrenic Wells
wrote:“Rachel
A n n a b e l l e
Ri ley was
caughthaving
underage sex
with a minor
backstage on
countdown.
“Rumours suggest she
is dying of cancer.”
The blog featured a
numberofsongs–many
comment
BYlaurarichards,director
ofanti-stalkinggrouppaladin
Anyofuscan
bevictimsof
harassment
Like Rachel, I have also been
cyber-stalked. It started in 2010
but I didn’t know I was actually
being stalked for a while.
I got calls from people saying a
man kept calling and saying
disturbing things. I didn’t know
him. Then he started sending me
emails through the night, saying
he wanted to come to my home.
I didn’t report it as I thought I
could deal with it. I used to be
head of the Homicide Prevention
Unit at New Scotland Yard and
reviewed the murder of Clare
Bernal who was stalked and
murdered. From that, I set up a
charity called Protection Against
Stalking with Clare’s family.
For me, the tipping point came
when I opened my emails and the
first line was my home address. I
felt very fearful. I knew he was
trying to approach me, I didn’t
know what he was capable of.
I called the police and it turned
out the man was mentally ill. He
was arrested and got a warning.
He was put back on medication
and at the moment it has
stopped. I’ve been on television
talking about stalking and he had
picked me up from that.
Celebrities like Rachel aren’t
the only ones who are stalked.
It’s an issue for normal
people too and social media
is facilitating this.
For■■ information about her
anti-stalking group Paladin,
visit paladinservice.co.uk or
call 0207 840 8960.
COUNTDOWN star Rachel Riley
suffered a terrifying eight-month
campaign of abuse from an online
stalker, who ranted: “I hope your
eyes bleed and your skin dries.”
The “distressed” 28-year-old was
bombarded with more than 500 abusive
and sexual tweets from mentally ill
Anthony Wells, a court heard yesterday.
Wells – who was given a five-year
restraining order and sectioned – also
claimed Rachel was dying of cancer and
falselyallegedshehadbeencaughthaving
sexwithaminorbackstageat­Countdown.
The troll, 31, lived just 20 miles away
from the Strictly Come Dancing star, who
was left fearing “violence would be used
against her”, the charge against him said.
Inonedisturbingtweethewrote:“Please
someone execute this fiend of nature.” He
also targeted Coldplay frontman Chris
Martinandinapostonthesiteaboutboth
stars he wrote: “Kill them now.”
Wells’s profile included a link to a blog
where he wrote sinister songs about the
TV presenter. One, entitled God Left Her
Alone (A Ode To The Dead Girl Rachel),
read: “I hope you die forever, I hope you
cry forever, I hope you die now.
“I hope your eyes bleed and your skin
dries and your dream dies. I hope you fall
to the earth like a child lost at birth...
Dedicated to Rachel Annabelle Riley.”
He also called her a “dirty b****” and
described her as the “worst piece of s***
that ever lived in this horrid little earth”.
abusive
The abuse started weeks after she
married her university sweetheart Jamie
Gilbert in August 2012. The couple broke
up 16 months later.
Prosecutor Jamie Sawyer told the court
of Wells: “Effectively what he did was
sendapersistentseriesofabusive
Twitter messages.
“Rachel Riley is something of
a celebrity, a TV presenter on
Countdown, who uses her
Twitteraccounttocommunicate
with fans and advertise where
she will be attending.
“Around500tweetswere
sentduringthetime
of the indictment.
The nature of
these messages
was always
abusive. The
messagessent
to Rachel
R i l e y o f
c o u r s e
caused her
distress.”
He said
her personal
statement –
which was not read
out – gave a
“graphic” descrip-
tion of her reac-
tion to the
tweets, which
disturbed Wells leaves
court in Essex yesterday
targeted The Countdown host
was bombarded with vile messages
exclusiveby louie smith
DMUULS
SATURDAY 31.05.2014 DAILYMIRROR 5mirror.co.uk
STALKER TERROR OF TV RACHEL
I hope your
eyesbleed
your skin
driesyou
die foreverCountdownstarleftinfearaftersickwebrants
couple Rachel with
Jamie before their split
SINISTER One of the tweets to Chris BIZARRE Post about Rachel and Chris, right
twitter
horror
Glamorous TV
star Rachel
dedicatedtoher.One
went: “I cry every
second I’m alone, I
hoperacheldiesburnt
to stone.” In a post
writtenonthesame
day Wells made a
sinister rape
reference.
He wrote: “I
love so many
good looking
women on this
earth I could be
happy forever.
“The trick, is, to seduce
them in a way that does
not cause a ripple effect
and inform them all of my
intentions to seduce them. The key as
always, is good thermals, good masks, and
plenty of duct tape. More later. :)”
ManyoftheTwitterpostswereaimed
atbothRachelandColdplay’sChris,
37. One for the singer read: “Hey
chrismartin,keeptouchingme
and I’m going to blow your
children’sheadsoffwithguns.”
Another said: “Chris Martin is
brutallyattackingRachelRiley...
he is a vile sick beast.”
At Basildon crown court in
EssexyesterdayWellsadmitted
onechargeofharassingRachel
relating to the tweets. He
denied a similar charge over the alleged
harassmentofsingerChrisandthiswasleft
tolieonfile.JudgeOwenDaviesQCimposed
arestrainingorderbanningWells,ofChelms-
ford,Essex,fromcontactingRachelorChris
directly or indirectly.
He also sectioned Wells under the
Mental Health Act.
Thetroll’slawyerEleanorScott
said her client had been diag-
nosed as paranoid schizo-
phrenic. She said: “At the time
Mr Wells was significantly
influenced by psychotic
thinking. He is still a very
mentallyfragileindividualbuthas
pleaded guilty to the charge
and understands what he did
was wrong. He is happy to
abide by a restraining order.”
Addressing Wells, the judge said: “You’re
currently in hospital and for the moment
that is the right place for you to be.” CPS
chief Punam Malhan said that Chris had
agreed Wells’ guilty plea over Rachel
was “acceptable to ensure he gets
the medical help he needs”.
Mr Malhan added: “Taking
MrMartin’sviewintoaccount
we decided it was no longer
in the public interest to
continue with the second
charge of harassment.
“We take allegations of
thiskindseriously,especially
where there is evidence of
a course of conduct which
causes fear to someone,
regardless of whether a
victim is in the public eye.”
louie.smith@mirror.co.uk