A fitness instructor began stalking a man she had previously had a sexual relationship with and made a complaint of rape against him which led to his arrest. Her partner also turned up at the victim’s home and place of work and placed trackers on his car.
Rebecca Hooper, 43, and Brian Townsend, 47, of Bridgend, made their victim’s life “hell” after contacting friends and family claiming he had raped Hooper and branding him a “predator”. He said the accusations had tainted his and his family’s life because “mud sticks”.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Hooper met the victim at the Bridgend Life Centre where she worked and they began a “casual relationship” he described as “friends with benefits”. But the relationship came to an end after he got back together with his wife.
READ MORE: Young boy sexually assaulted on double decker bus sees justice 30 years later
Prosecutor Christopher Evans said Hooper called the victim and asked to resume their previous sexual relationship and sent texts multiple times a day. She would comment on Facebook posts related to his son and was looking at photographs going back years. The victim’s wife received a friend request from the defendant and she commented on her posts.
Because of her conduct the defendant blocked Hooper on social media and WhatsApp and from sending message to his phone. She told the victim her partner Townsend had found messages between them and was “upset” about it. The victim told her he wanted nothing to do with it and ended the call but he started to receive abusive calls from Townsend who accused him of being a rapist.
In June 2023 Townsend turned up at the victim’s home and spoke to his adult daughter, shouted abuse at her, and referred to her father as a “sexual predator”. Hooper’s mother also called the victim and accused him of forcing her daughter to have sex with him. Two of the victim’s friends also received messages from Hooper requesting his address and his partner’s details.
One day the victim discovered a van tyre had been deliberately punctured and two weeks later a colleague saw Hooper interfering with the victim’s van. When the van was checked it was found to have a tracking device which was registered to Townsend., which collected information such as coordinates and speeds.
The victim’s wife later received a letter from Hooper in which she stated she had mental health issues and accused the victim of raping her. She was upset and the victim felt his “stomach sinking” after being told about the accusation.
Hooper went on to make an online report to the Metropolitan Police who referred the matter to South Wales Police. The victim was arrested and interviewed but no further action was taken. The victim vehemently denied the accusations and there was no suggestion by the court he did anything wrong.
Following his release from custody the victim continued to receive abuse from the defendants with both driving past the victim on separate occasions and sticking their fingers up at him. There was further vandalism to his van tyres and the victim was fined for failing to attend swimming classes, which had been booked by Hooper without his knowledge.
Mr Evans said: “This conduct caused [the victim] great distress and paranoia. He was constantly being on the lookout for them. He started travelling with different routes and made his journeys longer than normal. He deactivated social media accounts so the defendants could not contact him and stopped attending the swimming pool, gym, and his son’s rugby matches. He and his family were greatly affected by the complaint of rape.”
The defendants, both of Llangewydd Avenue, Bryntirion, were arrested in October 2023. Both made denials at interview but both later pleaded guilty to stalking. The court heard they were both of previous good character.
In a victim personal statement read to the court the victim said: “The past 12 months have been hell for me and my family. The suffering we’ll continue to deal with today and beyond. I don’t think we will ever recover from this horrific crime – something I never ever wanted to go through. Emotionally I am broken – my family are broken. I wake up with hot sweats, struggling to sleep, and am always paranoid and worried about my family.
“I am emotionally damaged by this and I’m suffering from serious anxiety and paranoia. Things will never be the same again. I am anxious they might turn up at the front door. I make sure windows and doors are locked in our homes. We feel like prisoners in our own home and our own community. I avoid the Bridgend area as I’m scared of seeing Rebecca and Brian.
“She accused me of rape – this is not true and was reflected in the outcome of that investigation but it will stick like mud. It breaks my heart daily worrying about what people might say as a result of their actions. I am always looking over my shoulder and paranoid. Myself and my partner go out in public very rarely – we’re asking if people know us, what have they been told, and will they say anything to us. Our quality of life has been affected severely. Our whole life has been forced to change – it’s violated our safe space and my home has been abused.”
In mitigation the court heard Hooper has mental health issues and is suspected of having neurodiverse challenges but she has not been diagnosed. Her barrister Giles Hayes said she had an inability to deal with the end of the relationship and described her conduct as “dangerous and irresponsible”. It was said Townsend accepted his emotions “got the better of him” and his behaviour was “unacceptable”.
Sentencing, Recorder Neil Owen-Casey described Hooper’s conduct as “an extreme reaction to the breakdown of a relationship”. He said: “Any point of remorse I am afraid is absent in this case.”
Hooper was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work, up to 12 days of a mental health requirement, a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, to pay compensation of £500 and costs of £150.
Townsend was also sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years and was made subject to a four-month curfew and ordered to pay compensation of £500 and costs of £150. Both defendants were made subject to restraining orders for 10 years.
This interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area: