Man who stalked BBC presenter Louise Minchin jailed

A former soldier who stalked the BBC presenter Louise Minchin and her teenage daughter has been jailed.

Carl Davies, 44, was sentenced to two years and eight months after posting multiple “intimidating” messages “intended to maximise fear and distress” to Minchin and her teenage daughter Mia’s social media accounts over four days between 14 and 17 July 2020.

In one message to Minchin he wrote: “Move or you’re fucked,” while in another he said: “Your daughter will definitely be raped,” followed by their home address, the village they lived in and the cars that were in their driveway at the time, Mold crown court heard on Wednesday.

Commenting on one of Minchin’s photos, he said: “You can see your garden from there,” showing he was aware of where they lived, the court heard.

The presenter and her daughter said the stalking had a “horrific, devastating, and lasting impact” and they still suffered from a “sense of deep distress” more than a year on, the judge was told.

In a victim impact statement, Minchin said: “We are both still traumatised by what has been a harrowing experience.”

The prosecutor, Brian Treadwell, said: “The family do not feel safe and perhaps never will.”

Passing the sentence, Judge Nicola Saffman also handed Davies an indefinite restraining order. She said: “Clearly they would have been terrified … especially because it’s clear you knew where they lived and knew the details of cars that were on their drive. As a result they are both now hyper-vigilant, they still have a sense of deep distress one year on and the family still don’t feel safe.”

Davies, of Flint in north Wales, had previously been convicted in 2017 of stalking another woman and for biting his father on the arm in 2019, the court heard. He was due to face trial at Caernarfon crown court on Tuesday for two counts of stalking the presenter and her daughter but changed his pleas to guilty before a jury was sworn in.

Duncan Bould, mitigating for Davies, said he sustained PTSD while serving with the armed forces in Iraq.

He said Davies, who attended court with his father, had never received treatment for the condition, which was partly diagnosed in 2017 but only fully recognised during a psychiatric examination to assist with the sentencing.

Saffman added: “I accept that you are remorseful for what you have done.

“I have also taken into account your PTSD, which is significant and has never been treated and which was incurred and suffered as a result of you serving your country at war in the Parachute Regiment.”

Addressing probation service staff, she said: “There should be made to Mr Davis upon his release on licence psychiatric and psychological assistance and input, not just signposting.”

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