Anna Friel stalker banned from parts of Windsor and given 15-year restraining order

A man who stalked actress Anna Friel for almost three years will not be going to prison – but is temporarily banned from parts of Windsor and prohibited from contacting her for 15 years.

Phil Appleton, 71, from Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, was living in a Springfield Road, Windsor at the time of the offence.

He maintained that he knew the Emmy-award winning actress (Brookside and Pushing Daisies) and the court noted he had developed an ‘obsessive interest’ in her.

The crime

After encountering Ms Friel on the Long Walk, Appleton told her he had worked on TV sets with her before, though she ‘had no recollection of him.’

Appleton began emailing her and messaging her on social media – and his communications ranged from declarations of love to ‘inappropriate and sexually explicit’ messages and photos.

He also did research on Ms Friel, learning the names of her friends, and joined a fitness centre she was a member of.

Appleton told his own friends he was going to marry her and he sent her wedding plans.

These acts were ‘unsettling’ in themselves to Ms Friel – but worse, Appleton found out her home address and visited on several occasions.

He left unwanted gifts, picked up her packages, tried to take her out on dates, and spoke to Ms Friel’s daughter several times, who repeatedly told him to leave.

The two women became aware that he was loitering outside of the home for about 30 minutes on more than one occasion, attempting to look through the windows.

He was seen on CCTV blowing kisses, mouthing ‘I love you’ and holding up a ring.

In one case, he showed up at Ms Friel’s door three times in the space of 48 hours. He was arrested that evening.

A witness impact statement from Ms Friel said she was ‘very unnerved’ by Appleton’s behaviour, and it made her feel like she had to look over her shoulder all the time.

“I don’t want to feel like a victim in my own home,” she said. “I try to keep my personal life private, and he invaded that.”

Ms Friel said that when she heard noises at night, she became afraid it was Appleton – and she was also very concerned that her daughter was being affected.

Mental health problems

After his arrest, Appleton broke bail conditions, showing up at Ms Friel’s door when he was told not to.

He was remanded in custody, but there his mental health deteriorated, and he was transferred to the psychiatric wing of a hospital.

Previously, Appleton faced a more serious stalking charge for which the maximum prison term is 10 years. But the trial was abandoned because of a late incoming psychiatric opinion.

A lesser charge, with a maximum of six months in prison, was entered and Appleton pleaded guilty.

The court heard that Appleton has a lifelong diagnosis of bipolar disorder, impacting his judgement.

While in psychiatric care, doctors noted his ‘lacked all insight’ into his condition and his continued delusion that Ms Friel might still at least wish to be friends with him.

As well as bipolar, Appleton was believed to suffer from erotomania, a rare condition that causes someone to delusionally believe another person is in love with them.

Defence

Appleton’s defence counsel, James Bloomer KC, acknowledged that his behaviour was ‘troubling’ but stressed there was ‘not the slightest threat of violence.’

Moreover, Appleton is apologetic and feels ‘unreserved shame’ for his actions, he said.

He has no prior criminal record, and it was ‘very unfortunate’ that an unmedicated period during his senior years caused this lapse in judgement, said Mr Bloomer.

His defence emphasised the ‘stark’ difference between the Appleton that committed the crime and the man he’d been before.

“He wishes for nothing more than to return to the law-abiding life he’s lived for the past few decades,” said Mr Bloomer.

Appleton has made a ‘commitment’ to continuing his medication, Mr Bloomer added.

Character references were ‘warm’ and said Appleton had a ‘settled life’ while he was on medication.

However, His Honour Judge Alan Blake, presiding, replied: “The difficulty is, this wasn’t an isolated week where Mr Appleton didn’t take his medication. This went on for months.”

The ruling

Despite Appleton’s mental health problems, Judge Blake felt he held ‘medium culpability’ for his actions, aggravated by the high degree of planning involved.

Judge Blake noted that emails from Appleton to his friends indicated he was aware that pursuing Ms Friel could get him in trouble with the law.

Appleton’s ‘failure to heed warnings’ from the police also counted against him.

Overall, the judge deemed Appleton’s actions didn’t meet the threshold for a custodial sentence.

Nonetheless, Ms Friel and her family ‘are entitled to feel safe’.

As such, the judge gave Appleton a 24-month community order, which involves an exclusion order lasting 12 months.

This bans him from certain parts of Windsor, enforced by electronic monitoring.

Perhaps the more serious is the accompanying restraining order, which prohibits Appleton from showing up anywhere he knows Ms Friel is going to be.

This lasts for 15 years and if Appleton breaches it, he could get five years in prison.

He also must not contact Ms Friel or her daughter directly, nor indirectly via people they know.