I hope you take some time to consider Bernie Keith's statement. Ex-BBC DJ guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine during 'vile' hate campaign I couldn't destroy the gift of life that they (his parents) gave me.'. Belfield started wearing Trump polo shirts and began campaigning against small boat crossings in the Channel, using a dinghy as a prop for his live shows. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Never miss a crime story with our free email updates. Prosecutors claimed Belfield subjected Vine to a relentless online campaign that included a wave of personal and unpleasant attacks on YouTube,TwitterandFacebookover an 11-month period. Ben Hewis is perverting the course of justice. \Mb+r'rS~(aU\voP GCK16X0v04p62h,3 0b``f:(x3j=)\-u`IL! 'In April last year I collapsed at my home and had to be taken to hospital. He presents aYouTubechannel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? The judge said that while Belfield did not physically approach or watch his victims, the effects were just as damaging. Member of the public 'donates' hand grenade to D-Day museum Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Also speaking during the trial, describing watching Belfields video output as like swimming in sewage, Mr Vine said: It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still.. Bernie confirms on air 'they' think he's "bonkers & loony toons". For each of these charges he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, to run consecutively. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. Bernard Spedding ignored every single correspondence. In court, he claimed to have nine employees, but who they are remains a mystery. READ MORE: The cinemas in Northamptonshire showing the Queen's funeral on Monday for free, Jurors accepted Belfield caused serious alarm or distress to two victims and found him guilty of simple stalking in relation to Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter Mr Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany. Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield jailed for stalking Jeremy Vine and other Articles by Alex Belfield on Muck Rack. He was found guilty of this offence in relation to two of the complainants - Mr Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer Ben Hewis. Rozina Breen, the corporation's former Head of North, told . Alex Belfield arrives at Nottingham crown court in July for the trial in which he was accused of stalking. We also want to learn from this to ensure we offer the best possible support to all colleagues, who may sadly experience the threat and risks of online stalking in the future., Last Friday, the four BBC women received an email saying the BBC had commissioned an internal review to establish what lessons can be learned from the recent criminal case. Aaron Sidwell was smart enough to retract his comments immediately: Phillip Dehany refuses to delete his post/vlog repeating the lies and endorsing Hewis. He said there was no escape for Belfields victims until bail conditions were imposed ahead of his trial, and agreed with Mr Vines characterisation that the ex-DJ had weaponised the internet against his targets. No more waking up in the middle of the night filled with dread about what he might have said about them to his then 373,000. Belfield was also convicted of the simple stalking of theatre blogger Philip Dehany, who suffered a vicious campaign of abuse. He realised what he could do and did it with impunity. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Spedding, who is known as Bernie Keith, and videographer . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Horrific, vicious, cowardly.". Similar orders in favour of four other individuals the BBCs former head of the north Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and BBC executive Helen Thomas were also made. He loved and hated showbusiness, and if he couldnt be you, hed have you, and be part of you, another way. Belfield was jailed after being found guilty of stalking four victims online. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. =NYOn:0'tzcD|k1xKx^-58nn-~?Oo>K KJ9OVJN3>:EOLbTk*q2ScG=UrS+0t-qNXZ.3X ;{h0B. In September 1997, he began his career as part of the launch team of Radio 106. Corporate Lawfare and Stalking. Belfield also published Mr Vine's address to a "mass audience", the judge said. He was convicted Friday, August 5, 2022, on four counts of stalking. The club joined the English Football League in 1892 as founder members of the Football League Second Division and though they resigned in 1907, they . Then began a 10-year campaign of harassment against both Breen and Green, as well as Helen Thomas, Breens line manager, who was head of regional and local programming for Yorkshire. "The Crown makes no submission that the overall sentence was, given the new knowledge of the legal position, inappropriate or unduly lenient," said Mr Justice Saini at Leicester Crown Court. The civil application, which pre-dates the criminal case, is for a Stalking Protection Order on the basis he has carried out acts associated with stalking. Alex Belfield is a 42-year-old former BBC radio star and vlogger who hails from Nottinghamshire. 'Because of the tsunami of hate and threats that were coming in to me, we had to have someone else sat in the building with me.'. His last company, Champagne Sippers, incorporated in December 2020, has never filed company accounts. Alex Belfield was convicted of four charges following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, Belfield was found guilty of "simple" stalking in relation to BBC presenter Jeremy Vine, Belfield was previously a presenter at BBC Radio Leeds, Belfield made videos throughout his trial and posted them on YouTube. Heres the facts on what happened. The relief was temporary. @decotheatre. The judge made restraining orders on the four victims: Bernard Spedding (also known as Bernie Keith), Ben Hewis, Philip Dehany and Jeremy Vine. Full statement on legal action & police inquiry BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis. Mr Vine was subjected to false and baseless claims relating to the supposed theft of 1,000, the court heard. Alex Belfield is convicted of stalking four people online but cleared of stalking four others. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Read about our approach to external linking. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", . Both question why the corporation only really took the abuse seriously once a well-known man Vine was involved. Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and three He was terrified of you. Mr Vine faced a torrent of abuse online, including thousands of social media messages from Belfields followers and personal threats. Port Vale F.C. They were exonerated. "He now has developed the insight that he didn't have before," Mr Aubrey said. The BBC turned a blind eye to the abuse, says Green: We were not heard. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken home' upbringing saying parents rowing in front of children 'is not a good idea' - but FAILS to mention William once in 90min toxic trauma chat, DONALD J TRUMP: The world has finally woken to the truth about the Wuhan virus. BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith told the court he was left feeling suicidal by what he called Belfield's "tsunami of hate." Belfield's contract with BBC Radio Leeds ended in 2011. (takes 20 seconds to download full statement plus call to Hewis). If that way was via abuse, then that was certainly effective in being part of your story. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It was on that channel that he first broadcast highly partisan court reports from his own trial, later posted to YouTube and still available to view, after persuading the judge that he was a journalist and should be given the same rights as the Nottingham Post. Asked why it had not banned Belfield from its platform following his conviction, YouTube did not respond. hbbd```b``"H %&jv`8Z`` Hy |AAg%@ !CI A civil stalking order is being pursued at the magistrates' court against former BBC DJ Alex Belfield, from Mapperley, who is now serving a sentence of more than five years in prison for his shameful conduct online. Police inquiry opened Feb 2020 Nottinghamshire Police. Belfield has worked for over 80 radio stations in the UK. alex belfield wife name Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other He ended with one of his catchphrases I love you, and theres nothing you can do about it before making what to his victims was a sinister promise: We will be back.. Bernie Keith (@BernieKeith100) / Twitter Olivia Attwood praises best pal Georgia Harrison as 'brave and dignified' after Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex tape, Peter Andre reveals strict rule for daughter Princess's career after she teams up with fashion brand, Where cast of Flipper are now - from hilarious run-in with the Queen to Breaking Bad fame & star with 14 kids by 4 mums, Stephen Bears fiance Jessica Smith vows to stick with him 'through thick and thin' after shamed reality star is jailed, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). 578 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<64333CF35435EE40AE1982510F889B77>]/Index[562 42]/Info 561 0 R/Length 90/Prev 190620/Root 563 0 R/Size 604/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Neither had ever met him. Four women, past and previous BBC DJs and executives, had also accused Belfield of stalking them via email and social media, but the jury found him not guilty on those charges. Something went wrong, please try again later. Presenter Iain Lee has since come out to say Belfield targeted him for many years, but that he was too frightened to go to court to give evidence. Here's Celebrity Radio's BBC Bernie Keith & Ben Hewis STATEMENTFull statement on legal action & police inquiry - BBC Bernie Keith / Bernard Spedding & Ben Hewis . Belfield was given a total of five years and 26 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half, on all four charges he was convicted of. Bernie Keith (pictured) who presents mid-morning shows and a weekly rock 'n' roll programme on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to 'naked' hatred and false claims, Prosecutors allege that Belfield (pictured arriving at Nottingham Crown Court), who hosts a radio channel on YouTube, waged a relentless nine-year campaign of stalking against eight victims, including ex-colleagues, after BBC Radio Leeds did not renew his contract in 2011. Call Today! Alex Belfields online harassment made life misery for BBC presenters Jeremy Vine, Liz Green and many others. In October 2020, Belfield spread a false rumour that he was having an affair with a fellow BBC radio presenter, using it as part of his ongoing campaign against the national broadcaster. Barring a successful appeal, Belfield will serve at least the next two years and 39 weeks in jail, before being released on licence to serve the second half of his sentence. Judges are able to vary sentences under section 385 of the Sentencing Act 2020, but the judge decided not to. Hewis encouraged an entire industry to block me.over lies he endorsed! and BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith. You made communications which had serious impacts on the private lives of the complainants, with distressing effects on their mental and physical health. It was a nine-year obsession, which saw him make what the judge described as the false and scandalous accusation that Keith regularly had sex in public on gay beaches with strangers. The former BBC radio presenter was jailed for five-and-a-half years after being convicted in September. There are lessons to learn clearly and the toxic nature of online hate will only get worse for staff. He has also been convicted of stalking Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Follow us on Facebook here and Twitter here. Instead, he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, and sent emails either to them or about them. The Guardian asked Bridgen if he regretted supporting Belfield and did not receive a response. I will refer to him by that name. One of the BBC targets was Bernie Keith, a veteran presenter at BBC Radio Northampton who was once Belfields friend. Thats when Rozina Breen, then the managing editor at BBC Radio Leeds, decided to take what she thought was a calculated chance. The judge referred to the victims graphic and distressing evidence in court about the impact of Belfields campaign of harassment, and how he had been just seconds away from dying by suicide. One of the complainants was his former colleague, Liz Green, who also presented a show at the radio station. Alex Belfield, 42, who "weaponised the internet", was last month found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of waging a relentless campaign, with TV's Mr Vine subjected to an "avalanche of hatred". 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Ex-BBC DJ Alex Belfield found guilty of stalking Jeremy Vine and other Bernard Spedding - guilty (majority verdict), Philip Dehany - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (majority verdict), Jeremy Vine - not guilty to the charge on the indictment but guilty of the alternative charge of "simple" stalking (unanimous verdict). hen Alex Belfield was sent to prison for five and a half years last month for online stalking, his accusers cried with relief. 562 0 obj <> endobj His trial heard he made YouTube videos about them, posted messages on social media, sent emails, and also encouraged his followers to target them. Alex Belfield is currently in prison after being convicted of stalking four men, Belfield made videos throughout his trial and posted them on YouTube. The optics arent good former managing editor at BBC Radio Leeds Rozina Breen. Belfield, 42, who weaponised the internet, was last month found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of waging a relentless campaign, where Mr Vine said he was subjected to an avalanche of hatred. He told the jury he was seconds away from killing himself. Although jurors found Belfield not guilty of stalking Liz Green, Rozina Breen, Helen Thomas and Stephanie Hirst, Mr Justice Saini said Belfield had harassed them, and he made restraining orders to protect them in future. Belfield also phoned Dehanys mother and then threatened to broadcast the call an outrageous and cruel act, said Saini and effectively sought to blackmail him by revealing details of a long-spent conviction. When blocked on Twitter he used other accounts to see what I was tweeting and routinely publicly mocked me to his social media followers, posting screengrabs he could only have obtained by using an account that I hadn't blocked.". Find Alex Belfield's email address, contact information, LinkedIn, Twitter, other social media and more. Ms Breen had been his boss at BBC Radio Leeds, Ms Green had been a fellow radio presenter, Ms Thomas had been Ms Breen's boss, and Ms Hirst joined BBC Radio Leeds as a presenter after Belfield left. Jail Time Awaits Former BBC Radio Presenter Convicted of Stalking Steven J Miller, another YouTuber, explained Belfields initial appeal in his own video, recorded after Belfield was jailed: Alex Belfield was responsible for putting smiles on thousands and thousands of peoples faces and he did that not by slagging people off but by him being him. People loved Belfields innuendos, said Miller, giving an example of when Belfield filmed himself on a train platform as a train whizzed by and exclaimed: Oh, I nearly got sucked off!. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. Finally, respite from what for some had been a decade of near-constant abuse. Articles by Alex Belfield's Profile - Muck Rack He presents a YouTube channel called Voice of Reason, which has over 361,000 subscribers. According to the Institute of Lawfare, lawfare is the misuse and abuse of the law for political, commercial and military ends. It was classic Belfield. Perhaps that independent review would expose those at the very top (men) who left us exposed. Belfield showed no emotion and wrote on a piece of paper as verdicts were delivered. Belfield, who has 361,000 followers on his YouTube channel, The Voice Of Reason, and 43,000 on Twitter, directed his attacks via social media in highly negative and often abusive terms, the judge said. In Mr Keiths case, the abuse was sustained over nine years, with the judge saying he had no escape from Belfield, who made up and repeated a wholly false and scandalous allegation about his former friend. All of the people who liked and re-tweeted Hewis libel will be called as witnesses. . "He was seconds away from taking his own life as a result of your conduct," the judge, Mr Justice Saini, told Belfield. It didnt work. You are entitled to hold and express views but you are not entitled to destroy the personal lives of your victims through online harassment.. 15:33, 16 SEP 2022. I had gone to the police to make it stop and it was just getting worse. . BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith was left feeling suicidal by a "tsunami of hate", jurors heard. endstream endobj startxref Ex-BBC DJ 'devastated' by stalker's 'completely transphobic' video 100+ emails sent/received from BBC & lawyers no defense of Spedding whatsoever. Bernie Keith, who presents mid-morning shows and a weekly rock'n'roll programme on BBC Radio Northampton, said former BBC Radio Leeds DJ Alex Belfield had subjected him to "naked" hatred . This was a man who had not only eschewed lawyers to represent himself in court, but who had reported on his own trial each night online; a man who even after being found guilty, appeared on stage in Blackpool with controversial rightwing commentator Katie Hopkins, playing up his role as The Stalker as he awaited sentence. Belfield, who now runs a YouTube channel called The Voice of Reason, told jurors he had legitimate reasons for his online communications. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Stalking Bernard Spedding (known as Bernie Keith) between 25 November 2012 and 2 April 2017, and between 3 April 2017 and 31 March 2021. . Green still works for the BBC but is trying to negotiate a settlement to leave. The women were told: The aim of the review is to provide recommendations to the BBC on how it can best support colleagues facing online stalking or significant social media harassment.. Apparently jealous that Keith's BBC career carried on while his own was . Its not enough to leave us to sink and swim, as we had to in this case, Breen wrote in an email to Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBCs director of nations. although such was the effect of what Alex Belfield did that some were . Jeremy Vine dubs accused BBC radio presenter as 'Jimmy Savile of Repeating a libel is not a defense in court. By the time Belfield began tormenting Dehany in 2020 he had become a successful YouTuber who could have been earning up to 528,000 a year, according to Social Blade, a website that monitors social media channels.