Leeds stalker who sent woman 11,000 messages in three weeks jailed
The 31 year old stalked the woman for eight years, sending her hundreds of messages every day
Last updated 27th Feb 2025
A Leeds man who stalked a woman for eight years, sending her hundreds of messages every day and bombarding her with calls, has been jailed.
31 year old Darryl Benn, of Sycamore Walk in Pudsey, met his victim by chance at a shop in Leeds city centre.
The pair had a brief conversation about a shared interest, but this led to years of harassments.
At times Benn would send his victim 150 WhatsApp messages and make 300 calls to her a day.
The messages would become increasingly threatening and sexualised in nature, with Benn threatening to harm the woman if he was blocked.
He was arrested last September and admitted to stalking involving fear of violence as well as sending a threatening communication and sending indecent images.
Alongside the jail term, he was handed a lifelong restraining order at Leeds Crown Court.
The victim in this case said: “I feel relieved that I finally have a voice, and I am being listened to, but the prolonged trauma and constant degrading words towards me has really taken a toll on my mental health.
“I hope now I can start to rebuild my life in peace, building my confidence and having freedom to go where I want, wear what I want and do what I want, without the worry of someone following me.”
Investigating the case, DC Ellie Blacklock of West Yorkshire Police, said:
“This was a prolonged and relentless campaign of abuse which saw the victim subjected to eight years of trauma caused by somebody she simply met in a shop.
“The offending became increasingly disturbing, culminating in the victim receiving more than 11,000 messages in the space of three weeks.
“I want to praise her for her strength and courage in coming forward to report it.
“This case demonstrates the huge lasting harm caused by non-contact sexual offences and I would urge any victims to please come forward to report them to us. We have specialist teams who will work with you to support you through the process.
“Women and girls should be able to go about their daily lives free from the fear of harassment and we are committed to creating an environment where they can feel safe.”