A serial stalker who repeatedly walked past a model’s tattoo shop window and left her ‘too scared to have a baby’ during his harassment campaign has been spared jail.
Yusuf El-Habachi, 29, began tormenting Helen Green in 2013 by repeatedly walking past her parlour in Soho, central London, and staring at her.
He also went to the salon and made sexual comments to Ms Green – leaving her fearful to go to work.
His cruel campaign stopped for five years, but he returned in 2018 and carried on staring at Ms Green through the window until she called the police.
El-Habachi, of Forest Gate, east London, was banned from contacting Ms Green, who models under the name Arabella Drummond, for the rest of his life in October 2018 under the terms of a restraining order.
But Westminster Magistrates Court heard El-Habachi, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, breached the ban for a third and fourth time when he walked past her shop on July 5 and July 31 last year.
Today El-Habachi’s 18 week jail term was suspended for a year-and-a-half and he was told to carry out 40 rehabilitation days and live under an 8pm- 6am curfew for 40 days.
Yusuf-Habachi, 29, was told to carry out 40 rehabilitation days and live under an 8pm- 6am curfew for 40 days
The court heard how Ms Green has been wanting to have a baby with her partner but has so far avoided trying for one because of concerns over future encounters with El-Habachi.
She said: ‘This (July 5) incident has made me feel extremely devastated that this has started all over again.
‘I have had to deal with this man for so many years and I fear coming to work or going to lunch.
‘This situation is affecting my relationship with my partner and there are days when I want to leave the country.
‘There have been days of crying and worrying. I am tired of losing my life over this male and I just want this to end. I feel constantly in danger.’
Last year El-Habachi performed a sex act in front of another woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on a bus in East London, on 1 July last year.
He later told police he was just ‘doing something with my trousers’ despite being caught on CCTV
On July 19 last year, El-Habachi stole cans of Red Bulls from a Greggs store.
He admitted exposure, theft, one count of breaching a restraining order and breaching a suspended sentence at previous first appearances before a magistrates court.
The defendant admitted a second count of breaching a restraining order on the first day of his trial in November last year.
Today El-Habachi’s 18 week jail term was suspended for a year-and-a-half and he was told to carry out 40 rehabilitation days and live under an 8pm- 6am curfew for 40 days.
He must also pay £150 compensation to the exposure victim and £150 in court costs.
An application by prosecutors to make him abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was thrown out.
Luke Staton, prosecuting, said: ‘At around 11 am on July 1 last year a woman boarded a bus and around two stops later the defendant boarded the bus and sat to the right of her in the back row.
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‘She could see out of the corner of her eye that there were some movements coming from the defendant.
‘When she looked towards him, she could see he was masturbating with one hand while he looked at her and ”side-eyed” her.
‘The victim went to the driver to explain what happened and while she was doing that the defendant got off the bus.
‘She asked the driver to report the incident and the defendant was caught on CCTV and identified. When interviewed by police the defendant made no comment other than to say ”I was not masturbating, I was just doing something with my trousers.”
‘On July 5 last year, in breach of a restraining order imposed on 26 October 2018, the defendant was seen on Berwick Street by a member of staff who works with Ms Green.
‘There was no communication at all between the defendant and the victim. He walked past the store and glanced towards it for around two seconds.
‘On July 31 last year the defendant was seen by the victim’s manager walking past the store briefly and looking in the direction of the store before walking on.
The court heard how Helen Green had been wanting to have a baby with her partner but has so far avoided trying for one because of concerns over future encounters with El-Habachi
El-Habachi’s 18 week jail term was suspended for a year-and-a-half and he was told to carry out 40 rehabilitation days and live under an 8pm- 6am curfew for 40 days at Westminster Magistrates Court
‘The reason the restraining order was imposed was because he was walking past the store several times every day in the past.’
Mohammed Naqvi, in mitigation, said: ‘The defendant has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is close to being diagnosed with autism.
‘He used to live with his elderly mother who is ill but since September he has been living in supported accommodation.
‘He is now receiving much better, intensive, daily support. He has also been offered treatment at a stalking clinic which would help him.
‘Prison would have a detrimental effect on his mental health which could deteriorate drastically as prison would be quite frightening for him.
‘He could lose his place in supported accommodation if he were to be sent to prison today.
‘He can undertake rehabilitation days as part of a community order. The court can follow the probation report and spare him prison today.
‘In regards to the breaches of the restraining order, he has walked past, there has not been any interaction and on one occasion the victim had to be notified about.’
District Judge Neeta Minhas told El-Habachi: ‘You cannot commit any further offences or breach any orders. If you do anything like that you will go to prison. I am not sure how many more chances can be given to you.
‘The reason I have not sent you to prison is because you are in supported housing. You will lose that if you go to prison.
‘You would be in a worse position if you were to lose that, and society would be put at greater risk if you lose your housing.
‘You have run out of chances; this is probably your last. If you breach the order or offend again, not even your personal circumstances will be able to keep you out of prison.’
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
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