A UK court has sentenced Amrit Magar, a 35-year-old former delivery driver from London, a five-year restraining order for stalking and harassing British tennis sensation Emma Raducanu. The psycho fan is ordered not to go around her for five years as he was found guilty of harassing Emma.
Magar followed Emma from November 1 to December 4 last year. Three times he went to her house and put various gifts and cards there. He wrote a note saying that he had walked 23 miles to meet Emma as he fell in love with her. Magar decorated a tree in Miss Raducanu’s front garden with Christmas lights and then stole a trainer from the porch, thinking it belonged to the sports star.
The court heard that Magar, who was originally from Nepal and has been married to a dental nurse for 10 years, had become obsessed with Raducanu after watching the US Open champion’s matches.
The order imposed by District Judge Sushil Kumar bans Magar from contacting Ms Raducanu or her parents, coming within a mile of their street and attending any sports ground, stadium or training facility where she is in competition or attending to train.
Magar was arrested after Raducanu’s father was alerted by a doorbell camera, finding his shoe had been taken from the porch. Magar was found guilty at the trial at Bromley Magistrates’ Court.
In a victim statement read out in court, tennis ace Emma said: “Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out.
“I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.
“Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
“I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.
“I want to move to a new house with better security because I am worried he might come back as he knows where my home is.”
Magar was also sentenced to an 18-month community order, including 200 hours of unpaid work, and an eight-week curfew between 9pm and 6am monitored by an electronic tag.