UK: 52-yr-old Naval officer dismissed for stalking trainee pilot for 4 years

Portsmouth: A 52-year-old married Royal Naval officer in the UK’s Portsmouth city has been dismissed for stalking a trainee woman pilot for four years, which left the victim with severe anxiety.

According to a report in Mirror, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Thompson  started stalking the trainee, Hannah Leask, after meeting her in September 2011.

He "bombarded" the trainee with Facebook messages, emails, letters, and gifts, including boxes of chocolates, perfume and a graduation present.

Captain Alison Towler, prosecuting, said, "She has lived in constant dread of him getting in contact with her, she became secretive and embarrassed and she lied to people to cover up a situation over which she had no control."

In March 2014, Leask sent him several messages, asking him to stop contacting her as he continued to stalk her. "The more and more it went on, I became increasingly frustrated and stressed and intimidated," she said.

Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett said Thompson's behaviour was "abnormal".

"This is a very serious matter, it's even more serious because of your rank differential, you clearly abused your rank," Blackett told Thompson.

Thompson lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, with his wife and two children. He was awarded six-month prison and a 30-day rehabilitation at a court martial hearing held at Portsmouth Naval Base. He has also been asked to pay a compensation of £5,000 to the victim.