"That was a picnic compared to this, because what happened in this case is that you were fired on from all directions. I was afraid because you have to think around corners with this stuff. After being sacked from BBC Radio Leeds, Belfield had to move back to live with his mother in Nottinghamshire and found it difficult to get regular radio work. He was at the top of his game as a BBC radio star but the former BBC radio presenter could go to jail after being found guilty of stalking four broadcasters that includes Jeremy Vine.Could this be a grudge of some sort? Online stalkers like you have the ability to recruit an army of followers whose conduct massively expands the effect of your stalking. The vacant Tiles UK warehouse in Derby Road, Stapleford was recently demolished so a new public car park could replace it, and these plans will soon be decided by councillors. He was sentenced on Friday at Nottingham Crown Court after being convicted of four stalking charges against. Reason for petition: Alex Belfield was convicted of four stalking charges at Nottingham Crown Court last month. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Our community guidelines prohibit content that threatens individuals and we have removed several videos for violating these policies.. First Belfield bawled out the stations beloved gardening correspondent for a perceived act of insubordination, prompting a surge of listener complaints. The 42-year-old had allegedly bombarded presenters, editors and other colleagues with vile emails, tweets, messages and uploaded videos to his YouTube channel. GoFundMe: The trusted online fundraising and crowdfunding platform for any need or dream. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! In relation to the women, the judge said: "Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. His trial heard he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, sent emails, and also encouraged those that follow him to target them. He was cleared of stalking charges in relation to the BBC's former head of North Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and former BBC worker Helen Thomas. He said he feared that at some point one of the 400,000 people watching Belfield's videos was "going to take a knife or acid to my home". Mr Belfield, who operates a YouTube channel, is disputing . Jurors convicted Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, of four charges committed between 2012 and 2021 and for each of these charges, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, to run consecutively. We the people are betrayed by this case and the passing of the Act in such vague yet sweeping scope compared to our rights as citizens to hold and express opinion. It was on Friday, the fifth of August when Alex was found guilty of two counts of stalking that involved serious harm and distress and two other counts of simple stalking at the Nottingham Crown Court after a month-long trial. The judge said Belfield "bombarded" Mr Spedding - who had previously been friends with Belfield - with Facebook messages and emails, and made "highly abusive" YouTube videos containing false allegations. I can tell you now their proposed review will not claim responsibility nor say sorry. There are lessons to learn clearly and the toxic nature of online hate will only get worse for staff. Not Replied My initial reaction without knowing the full facts of the case, but knowing that it concerned internet-based harassment, was one of shock, at the length of the sentence, wrote barrister Joseph Chiffers. Belfield also published Mr Vine's address to a "mass audience", the judge said. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. You did not meet or physically approach or watch any of your victims as a traditional stalker might have done Your stalking consisted of use of repeated email communications, social media content on Twitter, and creation and publication of YouTube videos on your channel The Voice of Reason in which you commented in highly negative and often abusive terms about the complainants. For other inquiries, Contact Us. His subscriber count has dropped, but still stands at 354,000. "Stalking is a crime. September 23, 2022 7:00 am (Updated 2:10 pm) "They take down individual videos and then when he's convicted, they demonetised him. It was lockdown that offered Belfield an opportunity to make some proper money. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Alex Belfield, 42, subjected his colleague to a "wave of personal and unpleasant attacks" on Yo I am not imposing sentences on you because you made comments about the BBC or about matters of public interest. A platform which wouldn't suppress your opinions. 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. He made a video this morning, about Morbidly Obese Morgan, interviewing Matt Hancock, outside the BBC, Alex said there was such a lag, Susanna couldn't get a word in edgeways, and 3 producers were suicidal. 2. Cookies are also used for Google Ads personalisation. He posted videos and messages online about his victims and encouraged his followers to target them. Alex Belfield is a British YouTuber and former BBC radio broadcaster. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When blocked on Twitter he used other accounts to see what I was tweeting and routinely publicly mocked me to his social media followers, posting screengrabs he could only have obtained by using an account that I hadn't blocked.". Since its launch, Alex Belfield - The Voice of Reason's YouTube channel has received over 337 million views. The 42-year-old, from Nottingham, is due to be sentenced on 16 September and has been warned he could be jailed. It didnt work. A former BBC radio presenter found guilty of stalking four people including broadcaster Jeremy Vine has been jailed for five and a half years. Regardless, the judge clearly considered him a threat. He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, September 16 jailed for five and a . His website describes him as "one of the busiest and most respected artistes in British media & entertainment", and Belfield has broadcast on over 80 radio stations around the world, and. Thats when Rozina Breen, then the managing editor at BBC Radio Leeds, decided to take what she thought was a calculated chance. He posted videos and messages online about his victims and encouraged his. Would they ever truly be able to escape the man Vine described as an Olympic-level stalker? Private | A GOOD DEATH | Ickonic A Right To Know - David Icke Interview - Part One. According to GoFundMe, which hosted the appeals, he raised a total of 29,446. So at that point I was scared for them," he said. Active For each of these offences, he was sentenced to 13 weeks, also to run consecutively. 2023 BBC. Then in June 2020, Katie Hopkins was permanently banned from Twitter, opening up a gap in the market for anti-woke, anti-immigrant polemics with an English accent. Vine said Belfield had put out a video saying he was going to be back up and running. "You were not a whistleblower in any sense but developed a fixation with pursuing Mr Vine with a campaign of abuse," the judge said. But some of the complainants feel they never really got justice. Why do the four women involved feel let down? My personal opinion of YouTube's newest sensation, Alex Belfield, is that he's a bit of a pervy bell-end! Alex Belfield, 42, was handed 5 years and 26 weeks in jail at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, after being labelled the "Jimmy Savile of trolling" during the trial in August. While most defendants on trial try to avoid cameras on the way into court, Belfield seemed to be doing his best to attract them, wearing an array of wacky jackets and shirts. The effect of these communications was to encourage the readers and viewers to form highly negative views of the complainants, often based on wholly false allegations by you. The BBC Radio 2 presenter, 57, said Belfield - a 42-year-old former BBC local radio presenter - had taken him to a "really unhealthy place" and described his YouTube channel as a "fountain of hate". That he was allowed to play court reporter upset many complainants, particularly as Belfield decided not to give evidence under oath. "Your methods were, however, just as effective as a way of intimidating your victims, and were in many ways much harder to deal with.". Alex Belfield arrives at Nottingham crown court in July for the trial in which he was accused of stalking. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. He also agreed with Mr Vines characterisation that the ex-DJ had weaponised the internet against those he targeted. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It is hoped that the health street will also support new initiatives, such as Integrated Care Systems and social prescribing, which in some cases tells people to attend groups and activities, rather than prescribing medicine. Though the BBC knew Belfield was spreading lies about them in public, at no point did anyone from the BBC refute the allegations, she says. 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. BrandNewTube.com is a Video Sharing Platform. 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). "You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell.". hen Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. He will be even more unbearable, she said in an Instagram video, with a twinkle in her eye that suggested she can hardly wait. He hated being told how to improve by Jeremy, and thats where I think it all started.. He realised what he could do and did it with impunity. I think the jury thought: Oh, it cant have been that bad. She says Belfield has destroyed her mental health, and that she was so frightened that he or his followers would turn up at her house, she spent 20,000 on security measures. But the Court of Appeal has said he can renew the application to go before the full court "so this is still a live case here in the Court of Appeal criminal division". 4. Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other broadcasters The ex-radio host, who presented on BBC Radio Leeds, was convicted of four stalking charges at Nottingham Crown Court. Sentencing, Mr Justice Saini said Belfields stalking methods were just as effective a way of intimidating victims and in many ways much harder to deal with than traditional stalking. The server is misbehaving. Instead of a lawyer, he was often accompanied by James Brandon, a member of the old-school comedy duo the Grumbleweeds. Green says she is deeply disappointed that the BBC did not commission an independent inquiry. In September 1997, Belfield began his career as part of the launch team of Radio 106. You can try refreshing the page, and if you're still having problems, just try again later. Belfield was jailed after being found guilty of stalking four victims online. Unless there are broadcast prohibitions attached to his release, there is nothing to stop Belfield firing up Voice of Reason again when he gets out of jail. Alex Belfield, a British radio presenter, was charged with stalking Jeremy Vine and 11 additional stalking offenses. What is going on with Alex Belfield? READ MORE:Jury's verdicts delivered in stalking trial of ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield. The prosecution said the YouTuber's stalking was more akin to 'internet trolling' than physical stalking, sending emails, tweets or making videos and subjecting victims to harassment and abuse - some of them over the course of many years. There are two types of laws: just and unjust. The judge did stop him from interrogating complainants, appointing David Aubrey as a proxy advocate. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. The BBC turned a blind eye to the abuse, says Green: We were not heard. Alex Belfield (born 1979 or 1980) [1] is an English former radio presenter for BBC Radio Leeds who was dismissed for misconduct. Alex Belfield Biography, Wiki, Birthday & Education. The day he was found guilty he was wearing a Bermuda shirt and shorts. August 6, 2022 5:23am. The judge said it was an aggravating factor that Belfield's harassment was public, as this caused his social media followers to also abuse Mr Spedding over a "lengthy period". 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. Well, he's not quite that, but I do admit, I watch his videos, which may not be a good thing at all. No more waking up in the middle of the night filled with dread about what he might have said about them to his then 373,000 YouTube subscribers or in bitter emails to their bosses or clients. He is suing 41-year-old Alex Belfield, saying he defamed and harassed him on the social media platforms between May and August 2020. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. He told the jury he was seconds away from killing himself. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. He's always been in hot water with the authorities. His last company, Champagne Sippers, incorporated in December 2020, has never filed company accounts. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. On 16 September, popular YouTuber and journalist Alex Belfield, formerly of BBC Radio Leeds, was sentenced to five and half years in prison for four counts of online stalking. 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. I'm thrilled justice has been served & excited to move on with the rest of my life. He started his own online show, Celebrity Radio, bagging interviews with famous people in return for advertising plugs, and tried to sell himself as a theatre and restaurant reviewer. Jurors were told that Mr Belfield. On Count 5 you were convicted of stalking The fact we were asked to ignore potentially criminal evidence is an issue. The optics arent good, says Breen. Stalker Alex Belfield has shelled out '300,000 already' on his legal case YouTube still hosts convicted stalker Alex Belfield's videos Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield accused of stalking tells. Friday 5 August 2022 21:26, UK Why you can trust Sky News The judge said one of his victims came close to killing himself. Book Now Blackpool Katie Hopkins NEW DATE! Recent Posts Unread Posts Tags, Forum Icons: Each of them suffered a campaign of harassment by email and social media communications. Alex Belfield has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for stalking four people, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings. No more waking up in the middle of the night filled with dread about what he might have said about them to his then 373,000. Belfield has worked for over 80 radio stations in the UK. That all stopped in February this year when YouTube suspended monetisation on Belfields Voice of Reason for violating its creator policy, after a negative article in the Times about high-earning conspiracy theorists. The interview was filmed exclusively for Ustreme, which is owned by comedian Jim Davidson OBE, as part of a new series called 'Face To Face'. One day, Green says she found a talented young producer crying in the toilets after being shouted at by Belfield. YouTubers have waded in with their views on "the Jimmy Savile of trolling" Alex Belfield after he was sentenced to more than five years in prison, and now plans to appeal. Start fundraising now. The fact we were left unsupported from the acts of someone regarded as a prolific, now convicted, stalker is problematic. Barring a successful appeal, Belfield will serve at least the next two years and 39 weeks in jail, before being released on licence to serve the second half of his sentence. . For each of these charges, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, to run consecutively. "Although you at no stage committed any physical acts, Mr Vine considered himself and his family to be at risk from you and his followers," the judge told Belfield. It was a risk. Nottingham's Lister Gate to be transformed into a health hub. 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!. I am offensive My human right allows me to speak words that are not to everyones taste, he told the jury. At first, he grew his audience with silly sketches and phone-ins, railing against government Covid policy, particularly the ban on care-home visits. Help charities, help others, help yourself. Giving evidence in court, Vine said: I have in the past had a physical stalker who followed me. Vine told Newsnight he thought if the courts had not stopped Belfield "somebody would have died". 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