YouTuber Alex Belfield is planning to appeal against his prison sentence for stalking four men online. The TV presenter labelled him the Jimmy Savile of trolling during the trial, which heard he repeatedly posted or sent abusive messages, videos and emails. Yet, he remains unstable and on air at the BBC. hen Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. BBC & RPC lawyers refuse to deny BBC DJ Bernard Spedding / Bernie Keith wrote email. "In some cases this has extended to death threats," he said. . Radio Presenter Age And Net Worth. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. "The Crown makes no submission that the overall sentence was, given the new knowledge of the legal position, inappropriate or unduly lenient," said Mr Justice Saini at Leicester Crown Court. Former BBC DJ Alex Belfield has been discovered responsible of the relentless stalking of different broadcasters, together with Jeremy Vine, who he Trending 'La Brea' Season 2 Trailer Goes EVEN DEEPER. . Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. A few months in, alarm bells started to ring, remembers Liz Green, who presented the lunchtime show that followed Belfields each day. 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. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Alex Belfield has been jailed for five and a half years. 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". To have your reputation destroyed maliciously is unforgivable. 100+ emails sent/received from BBC & lawyers no defense of Spedding whatsoever. Then began a 10-year campaign of harassment against both Breen and Green, as well as Helen Thomas, Breens line manager, who was head of regional and local programming for Yorkshire. Prosecutors allege Mr Belfield, 42, caused serious alarm or distress to Vine, as well as Stephanie Hirst, a former BBC Radio Leeds mid-morning show host, and Bernie Keith, of BBC Radio Northampton. The judge, Mr Justice Saini, granted Belfield bail and told him to return to Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing next month. 'I can't remember when I have had a run of good sleep of longer than five hours. Mr Justice Saini said: You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? At NorthantsLive we're more than just news. Our community guidelines prohibit content that threatens individuals and we have removed several videos for violating these policies.. Belfield compared his treatment with that of a police officer who had escaped jail despite being convicted of possessing child abuse images. 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; When not filming himself he would address his camera operator as Tarquin. 'I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.'. Refuses to deny he wrote the email. That all stopped in February this year when YouTube suspended monetisation on Belfields Voice of Reason for violating its creator policy, after. Why did it take so long to bring him to justice? BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left suicidal by a "tsunami of hate", the trial was also told. 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. The day he was found guilty he was wearing a Bermuda shirt and shorts. Perhaps that independent review would expose those at the very top (men) who left us exposed. Belfield looked pale as he was led down to the cells as more than 20 of his supporters watched silently from the public gallery. 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. I pleaded with him [Belfield] to stop. Breen and Green both think the BBC failed all four women who gave evidence against Belfield. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It was hard to take any satisfaction from the jailing of this despicable man when he will not serve a single day in jail for what he did to the four Leeds women, he said. Neither had ever met him. But Breen thought he would bring personality to the station. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. He would invite viewers to send in fan mail not to any registered office but to his local pub, whose landlady he described as his receptionist. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. Ben Hewis intended to destroy my life, reputation and career. Weve presented the BBC and RPCs Nicola Cain (now left the case as Bernies lawyer) with indisputable evidence that we believe BBC Northamptons Bernie Keith wrote this unprovoked attack. Would they ever truly be able to escape the man Vine described as an Olympic-level stalker? The relief was temporary. On Count 5, If that way was via abuse, then that was certainly effective in being part of your story. 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.. For just over three minutes, the 42-year-old delivered a monologue in which he said he was in prison for simply defending himself. The royal we was a frequent Belfield affectation, designed to give the impression that he sat at the top of an anti-woke multimedia empire in the Alex Jones/Infowars mould. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. His voice breaking with emotion, Mr Keith added: 'That removes the hope from my life that I will ever be free of this man. 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'. 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. It could be interpreted as a reluctance to expose systemic failings and a complete failure in duty of care. He also contacted Hewiss clients to undermine his business and encouraged his followers to join in with the abuse. Judge tells Alex Belfield to expect jail over nine-year 'campaign of harassment' American mom living in Paris mesmerizes internet after revealing the VERY surprising after-school snack kids eat in France. He realised what he could do and did it with impunity. It was on that channel that he first broadcast highly partisan court reports from his own trial, later posted to YouTube and still available to view, after persuading the judge that he was a journalist and should be given the same rights as the Nottingham Post. He bought his detached house in Mapperley, Nottingham, for 314,950 in October 2018, and it is mortgaged. Belfield was also convicted of the simple stalking of theatre blogger Philip Dehany, who suffered a vicious campaign of abuse. "Blocking was also a futile exercise as Belfield continued to seek out new ways to get to me when others failed. Bernie confirms on air 'they' think he's "bonkers & loony toons". Mr Spedding said Belfield's YouTube videos, emails and social media messages had included highly abusive language and a threat to "hound you for the rest of your life". "I will never be able to work out why it has happened to me.". For the TV presenter Jeremy Vine, the most high-profile target of arguably Britains most prolific troll, it would be the first time in several years that he could host a live phone-in without worrying that one of Belfields acolytes would hijack the programme to confront him with Belfields lies. For the best part of 10 years they had been complaining about Belfields vendetta, in which he sent hundreds, if not thousands, of emails to them and their superiors. A civil stalking order is being pursued at the magistrates' court against former BBC DJ Alex Belfield, from Mapperley, who is now serving a sentence of more than five years in prison for his shameful conduct online. 'Once you sign up, you do what you're told': Duke of Sussex tells trauma expert Gabor Mat 'a lot of us' in the Army 'didn't necessarily agree or disagree' with the West's invasion of Afghanistan but did 'what you're trained to do'. ). Do not sell or share my personal information. Find Alex Belfield's email address, contact information, LinkedIn, Twitter, other social media and more. I will refer to him by that name. endstream endobj 563 0 obj <>/Metadata 36 0 R/Pages 560 0 R/StructTreeRoot 43 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences 579 0 R>> endobj 564 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 595.32 841.92]/Parent 560 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 565 0 obj <>stream 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. %%EOF 918-707-5636 ohniyou ceiling fan manual. The court heard the original application was amended to add two more people who did not form part of the criminal trial. Between 2004 and 2010, he appeared on radio stations, including Mercia FM, Touch FM, BBC Bristol, BBC Radio Shropshire and BBC Hereford and Worcester. Bernard Spedding ignored every single correspondence. 1. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", was last month found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of waging a relentless campaign, with TV's Mr Vine subjected to an "avalanche of hatred". Belfield became known across theatres as someone who would throw a tantrum if he didnt get the press tickets he wanted. Although jurors found Belfield not guilty of stalking Liz Green, Rozina Breen, Helen Thomas and Stephanie Hirst, Mr Justice Saini said Belfield had harassed them, and he made restraining orders to protect them in future. The BBC reports Alex Belfield, . 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. Apparently jealous that Keith's BBC career carried on while his own was . endstream endobj 566 0 obj <>stream Belfield currently hosts the Voice of Reason YouTube channel, which has over 372,000 subscribers. 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. Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield's "campaign of harassment" had left Northampton's Bernie Keith "just seconds away" from suicide. He did so after the prosecution told him the maximum sentence for this offence was five years, but the maximum sentence is actually 10 years. Close Belfield-watchers believe his lurch to the right was a business decision rather than an ideological one. Speaking after the verdicts, Sheryl Monk from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Stalking is a very serious crime that has a severe impact on its victims. Belfield was jailed after being found guilty of stalking four victims online. . "There's a good chance of a custodial sentence," he added. and BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. Alex Belfield: Bernie Keith BBC Radio Northampton, 14 March 2020 (25 mins) Is Alex Belfield a victim of lawfare? Rozina Breen, the corporation's former Head of North, told . At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. He was convicted Friday, August 5, 2022, on four counts of stalking. After his first arrest, in June 2020, he started two crowdfunders to raise money to sue first the BBC and then Nottinghamshire police. 562 0 obj <> endobj . Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. "You made this highly successful and confident radio presenter lose all joy in life and turned him into a shell.". Feb 10th, doors at 7, first dance at 7.30- 11.30. Alex Belfields online harassment made life misery for BBC presenters Jeremy Vine, Liz Green and many others. 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. To those who had been monitoring Belfields output for the past few years, it was no surprise that he wanted the final word. alex belfield wife name. We have begged the BBC to resolve this quietly and privately. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", . The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. Your email address will not be published. Christmas is always Belfield's busiest time of the year. Bernie Keith confirms hes mentally ill and in therapy March 2020. Stephanie Hirst, who took over Alex Belfield's slot at BBC Radio . "My initial reaction [to the stalking] was 'He's gone mad'," Mr Spedding told the trial. "Bearing in mind the need for an overall proportionate sentence and the principle of totality, I am not satisfied that my final overall sentence of five years and 26 weeks would have been substantially higher had I been made aware of the correct legal position on count 5 [the charge relating to Bernie Keith].". 0 Peers in show business blocked me including @BazBam (#1 print journo) calling me abhorrent in reply to the Hewis published LIES. He warned him he could then be recalled to prison if he commits a further offence. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. dragonfly covid testing nyc. First Belfield bawled out the stations beloved gardening correspondent for a perceived act of insubordination, prompting a surge of listener complaints. 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. The police are advised to consider applying for an order where it appears to them that: Belfield was jailed last September after he was found guilty of waging a relentless stalking campaign against BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, and subjecting TV presenter Jeremy Vine to an "avalanche of hatred" - but has since lodged an appeal. 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. Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis. 'I had this naked hate being piled on me every day and I had to be funny and I had to entertain people. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The former BBC radio presenter was jailed for five-and-a-half years after being convicted in September. During his trial, the court heard from his stalking victims - including BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith. hb```6Ad`0p Who is Alex Belfield and why has he been jailed? 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. xRn0+|L)%^RKXoZi;;0AQnKF. How a failed local radio DJ with Timmy Malletts dress sense ended up making potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds broadcasting lies about his largely obscure enemies is a story that begins in 2010. Belfield was not accused of physically stalking the complainants, who were mostly current or former BBC staff. Feb 8. 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Port Vale F.C. Stalking Bernard Spedding (known as Bernie Keith) between 25 November 2012 and 2 April 2017, and between 3 April 2017 and 31 March 2021. . 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. She suffered years of what the judge described as transphobic and hateful comments motivated in part at least by feelings of jealousy as to her success when his own career within the BBC had foundered. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. He has also been convicted of stalking Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. I live in fear and I have done for a long time, she says. A BBC radio host has revealed that alleged stalking by an ex-staff member left him contemplating suicide. Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis . Ex-BBC presenter Alex Belfield's campaign of harassment had left Northampton's Bernie Keith just seconds away from suicide. Recalling how he was offered counselling in 2020, the presenter told the court: 'I had three sessions before lockdown came into force. 15:33, 16 SEP 2022. 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. Alex Belfield was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in behind bars (Image: PA) A civil stalking order is being pursued at the magistrates' court against former BBC DJ Alex . Read about our approach to external linking. In relation to Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany, he was found guilty of two lesser offences of "simple" stalking, which does not require serious alarm or distress to be proved. Belfield also phoned Dehanys mother and then threatened to broadcast the call an outrageous and cruel act, said Saini and effectively sought to blackmail him by revealing details of a long-spent conviction. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Addressing the jury in the third week of the trial, Mr Keith said Belfield's YouTube videos, emails and social media messages had included highly abusive language and a threat to 'hound you for the rest of your life'. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. I dont think that stuff even bothered him.. He hated the thing he loved, or hated other people having success within it.. 6 months later Ben Hewis REFUSES to release the email. Jurors deliberated for 14 hours and 27 minutes before reaching their verdicts, following a four-week trial that began on 5 July. "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. One of the BBC targets was Bernie Keith, a veteran presenter at BBC Radio Northampton who was once Belfields friend. 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.. Olivia Attwood praises best pal Georgia Harrison as 'brave and dignified' after Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex tape, Peter Andre reveals strict rule for daughter Princess's career after she teams up with fashion brand, Where cast of Flipper are now - from hilarious run-in with the Queen to Breaking Bad fame & star with 14 kids by 4 mums, Stephen Bears fiance Jessica Smith vows to stick with him 'through thick and thin' after shamed reality star is jailed, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). (The person to be protected does not have to have been the victim of the acts mentioned above. His trial heard he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, sent emails, and also encouraged his followers to target them. "Throughout this trial, victims and other witnesses have given evidence with dignity and I would like to thank them for their willingness to give evidence. Mr Spedding, the trial heard, was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate" from Belfield. The club joined the English Football League in 1892 as founder members of the Football League Second Division and though they resigned in 1907, they . Both question why the corporation only really took the abuse seriously once a well-known man Vine was involved. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Within hours, a video appeared on Belfields secret video channel, accessible to anyone willing to pay him a pound a week. Belfield, 42, subjected four people in a "relentless" campaign of stalking - including broadcaster Jeremy Vine. One of the complainants was his former colleague, Liz Green, who also presented a show at the radio station. People who have worked on this game have also collaborated on the creation of the following games: Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, a group of 620 people; Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, a group of 361 people; Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, a group of 357 people; inFAMOUS 2, a group of 347 people; SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs, a group of 328 people Within days, 15,000 people had signed a Free Alex Belfield petition and Hopkins was on Instagram mocking Belfields targets for whining about simple hurty words. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. Breen and Green both think the BBC failed all four women who gave evidence against Belfield. Ben Hewis refuses to communicate with Nottingham Police. One day, Green says she found a talented young producer crying in the toilets after being shouted at by Belfield. The final two victims who went to court and testified against Belfield were both from the theatre world. One of the alleged victims - TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine - told the trial last week that 42-year-old Belfield is 'the Jimmy Savile of trolling'. Sometimes these emails included what the judge said were highly offensive and personal comments about their physical appearance, including sexualised comments as well as wholly false allegations that the women had bullied him. The judge made restraining orders on the four victims: Bernard Spedding (also known as Bernie Keith), Ben Hewis, Philip Dehany and Jeremy Vine. Mr Belfield, on 5 August 2022, following a 5 week trial here at Nottingham Crown Court the jury convicted you on 4 counts. He will be even more unbearable, she said in an Instagram video, with a twinkle in her eye that suggested she can hardly wait. Instantly disprovable lies published by Ben Hewis. Ms Breen had been his boss at BBC Radio Leeds, Ms Green had been a fellow radio presenter, Ms Thomas had been Ms Breen's boss, and Ms Hirst joined BBC Radio Leeds as a presenter after Belfield left. "Your methods were, however, just as effective as a way of intimidating your victims, and were in many ways much harder to deal with.". Horrific, vicious, cowardly.". 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. 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. Mr Vine gave evidence against Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, telling jurors: This is not a regular troll here. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Belfield clearly resented being there, recalls Hazell He was sulking and had a face like thunder. Green says she is deeply disappointed that the BBC did not commission an independent inquiry. In court, he claimed to have nine employees, but who they are remains a mystery. Member of the public 'donates' hand grenade to D-Day museum Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Judges are able to vary sentences under section 385 of the Sentencing Act 2020, but the judge decided not to. All of the people who liked and re-tweeted Hewis libel will be called as witnesses. But some of the complainants feel they never really got justice. Alex Belfield arriving for his trial at Nottingham Crown Court (Image: PA) An award-winning broadcaster has told a court she was devastated by a "completely transphobic" video posted online by an ex-BBC Radio DJ accused of stalking former colleagues and TV star Jeremy Vine. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith told the court he was left feeling suicidal by what he called Belfield's "tsunami of hate." Belfield's contract with BBC Radio Leeds ended in 2011. He soon made enemies in the theatre world, says a director who started monitoring his online activities a few years ago (and who wishes to remain anonymous). The respondent has carried out acts associated with stalking; The respondent poses a risk of stalking to a person; and, There is reasonable cause to believe the proposed order is necessary to protect the other person from that risk.

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