Overview

• Appleton, 71, admitted stalking Anna Friel under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act after sending messages, visiting her home and leaving unwanted gifts over nearly three years.
• Judge Alan Blake adjourned Appleton’s sentencing to allow probation services to prepare a detailed pre-sentence report.
• He was released on conditional bail with an exclusion order forbidding contact with Friel or entry to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, enforced by electronic monitoring.
• A court-appointed psychiatrist diagnosed Appleton with bipolar affective disorder and erotomania, advising close oversight by mental health professionals.
• Friel and her daughter were granted permission to give evidence via video link owing to genuine fear and distress.