A salesman who stalked a woman he met on a dating app by going to great lengths to imitate her life has been jailed for 20 months.
Martin Gunn, 51, moved to the same street, bought the same breed of dog and type of car and applied to join the same gym as his victim, a court heard.
He had met the woman in March last year through the Hinge dating app and began stalking her after a few dates, Reading Crown Court was told.
Gunn reacted badly to the businesswoman from Windsor, Berks, telling him she just wanted to be friends.
But he continued to pursue her.
Martin Gunn moved to the same street, bought the same breed of dog and type of car and applied to join the same gym as his victim, a court heard. He has now been jailed
After eight years living in another part of town he moved close to her house and texted her to let her know.
The defendant told her: ‘Do not worry, I am not a stalker, ha ha.’
Flowers appeared on the victim’s doorstep and he bought her tickets to a Chelsea football match, prosecutor Chad Echakowitz said.
Gunn messaged the victim to let her know he would be joining the same gym as her, prompting her to plead with the management to refuse his application.
Although Gunn was refused access, he was often spotted loitering around outside the gym, the court heard.
In November last year, the victim purchased a black Mercedes E-class car and within the same month the defendant bought the same model of car, adding to her concern.
A month later with Gunn continuing to drive past her house, contact her and attempt to give her letters, she went to police and Gunn was arrested.
He was released on bail under restrictions not to contact the woman, but the court heard he was seen filming her from his home and approached her at a local Costa Coffee.
Gunn has now been sentenced to 20 months in prison by Reading Crown Court, pictured
And despite being in a new relationship he breached his bail by texting her on Valentine’s Day.
That led to Gunn being charged with stalking involving fear of violence between August last year and February this year.
He has been remanded in custody for more than five months.
Gunn initially pleaded guilty and then tried to change his plea, claiming he was given bad legal advice.
At an earlier hearing Judge Jane Rowley said a pre-sentence report shows he has a ‘deficit in his thinking.’
She said: ‘He is attempting to minimise and deflect what he has done although deep down in his heart – as reflected by the guilty plea – he probably knows what he did was wrong.’
The judge added that ‘no judge in their right mind would grant this man bail.’
At a hearing on 12 July Gunn withdrew his application to vacate his plea and the judge imposed a 20-month jail term along with a restraining order for seven years.
