Man jailed for sending 'disgusting' rape threat cards to BBC presenter

Gordon Hawthorn, 69, who has been jailed for two years and six months at Bristol Crown Court after he admitted one charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress to Alex Lovell, who works for BBC Points West.

A man who bombarded a BBC regional news presenter with dozens of "grossly violent and offensive" greetings cards has been jailed for two years and six months.

Gordon Hawthorn, 69, admitted stalking Alex Lovell by sending 38 cards to her at BBC Points West in Bristol over a two-year period.

The cards, often featuring animals on the front, included threats to rape the presenter and claims he had attacked five other women.

They were signed with a distinctive set of five crosses and initially the name 'Gordon', with Hawthorn ending them with 'your stalker' or 'your soon to be rapist' as they became more sinister.

Ms Lovell contacted Avon and Somerset Police after receiving a card in which Hawthorn stated his New Year's resolution was to have sex with her, with or without her consent.

Hawthorn was identified after another woman, who had received a Valentine's Day card at her workplace, recognised his handwriting on a police appeal.

Judge Martin Picton jailed Hawthorn for two years and six months and imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Lovell or visiting the BBC in Bristol.

The judge described Hawthorn's cards as "disgusting and frightening" and said they contained "grossly violent and offensive material".

"People in the public eye are entitled to the same respect and privacy as everyone else in society," the judge told Hawthorn.

"The fact that someone has a high public profile does not mean that it can be open season for people such as yourself.

"You need to understand, as does the public in general, that serious consequences result from appalling behaviour of the kind that features in this case.

"For two years, she could never be sure that she was safe.

"Ms Lovell would have an awareness, whenever she was on screen, that the author of those letters was watching and thinking the kind of thoughts that you expressed in your messages to her.

"When out and about she could never be sure that the author of the cards was not spying on her or posing a threat to her safety."

Judge Picton said the cards made Ms Lovell feel "disgusted, frightened and miserable".

The court heard Hawthorn began sending cards to Ms Lovell at the BBC in November 2012, often on occasions such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter and her birthday.