A custody mugshot has revealed the full face of a Wiltshire police officer’s stalker who was jailed for 18 months at Swindon Crown Court.
Rachel Barnes, 27, of Gas Lane, Cricklade, was labelled as “persistent and obsessive” by Judge Peter Crabtree OBE moments before he imposed a custodial sentence this morning (31 January).
The former Gogglebox researcher and English Heritage marketing assistant pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking and one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress.
The court heard how Barnes began surveilling PC William Saunders, who she met on a dating website, after he had ended their casual arrangement of no strings attached intercourse.
FULL STORY: Woman jailed for stalking police officer and girlfriend with “high degree of planning”
The Swindon-based response officer started a relationship with a colleague, local crime investigator Catherine Baird. When Barnes found this out, she began stalking her too.
From falsely reporting his new partner for breaching Covid restrictions to knocking on her door pretending to be delivery driver, Barnes targeted Miss Baird in what was labelled a “surveillance operation” with a “high degree of planning”.
Not only did she target Miss Baird, but her housemate too – also a member of Wiltshire Police staff.
Judge Crabtree said Barnes’ actions had the “intention to cause very real distress”.
Read the full court story, including the judge’s sentencing remarks and Miss Baird’s victim impact statement, here.
