'Relentless' stalker who targeted woman jailed

A man who threatened to take a gravestone of a woman's family member has been jailed, police said.

Josh Clift, of Longhedge in Wiltshire, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court for two years for stalking and breaching a restraining order on 4 June.

Wiltshire Police said Clift sent multiple messages a day to his victim in February, which included threats and abuse, and shared a video of the victim in an intimate state.

Local crime investigator Joe Cantillon said Clift was "relentless in his attempts" to contact the woman, and later went "on the run from police".

Clift, of Davies Road, was sentenced after pleading guilty to stalking, breaching a restraining order and sharing a photograph or film of someone in an intimate state.

The 31-year-old received a non-molestation order after repeatedly messaging the woman, which he later breached, and then received a restraining order which he also breached.

Police said he would find ways to contact the woman on other platforms when she had blocked him.

Cantillon said: "Clift was relentless in his attempts to contact the victim, sending multiple messages every day, which ranged from being abusive, proclaiming his love for her and threatening her.

"He even threatened to take a gravestone of a family member of the victim.

"When she didn't reply, he then shared an intimate video of her, before going on the run from police.

"His persistent offending led to his victim feeling extremely distressed, anxious and unsafe. Nobody should be made to feel this way."

As well as the two-year prison sentence, Clift's restraining order was extended for a further 10 years to prevent him from contacting the woman.

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