A love-sick man whose behaviour was described as being akin to that of an 11-year-old stalked his ex-partner because he couldn’t cope with a relationship break-up. Nathan Gribble subjected his former partner of two years to months of stalking after she decided to end it with the 47-year-old.
A sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court yesterday (Monday, January 6) heard how Gribble, of Mount Ambrose, Redruth, would not take no for an answer and not only messaged and called his ex but also turned up outside her children’s school at pick-up times and attended events he knew she would be at.
One one occasion, Gribble’s victim discovered a nail in one of her tyres when she went to the Charlestown Regatta for the day. The next day he told her he had taken an overdose of pills and that he still loved her despite her “talking to other men”. The day after that he messaged her to say he was out of hospital, while the following day she was warned by neighbours that a man had been looking for her and had been inspecting her car tyres suspiciously.
On another occasion Gribble dropped off unwanted and unsolicited gifts at her house, including flowers and an engagement ring, along with messages proclaiming his undying love.
Gribble was also spotted peering through her windows at her home in St Austell and even tried to hack her Google account. The court was told that on another occasion, Gribble went to the holiday park where she was enjoying herself with her children but fled when the children spotted him. He also followed her to the pub on another day and hid behind bushes.
The stalking went on from July to mid-October 2023 despite Gribble being arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police in September and released on conditional bail not to contact his ex.
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In a victim impact statement read out in court, Gribble’s ex said his behaviour had left her feeling frightened and “constantly looking over my shoulders when I’m out”. She added: “I nearly had an accident when I thought he was following me.”
She also said the stalking had had great impact not just on her but on her children who have been really stressed by it all.
Gribbles’ defence barrister said he had claimed it was all coincidental when he had been in the same location as his ex or her children. She added: “He has spent 20 weeks in custody and is struggling immensely with prison. During that experience of custody he has not been able to get medication for his physical and mental health problems and his mental health has taken a turn for the worse.
“He knows what will happen if breaks the law again and he’s desperate to avoid it.”
Gribble, a former delivery driver and band member, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to one charge of stalking involving serious alarm/distress when he appeared before the court on a previous occasion.
Sentencing Gribble to four months in prison suspended for two years, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said this had been a “particular case of stalking” over a long period of time including visit to his victim’s home address and her children’s school.
He said Gribble had shown no remorse or understanding of the impact his actions had caused, adding: “It caused them fear and distress. You couldn’t accept the break up of the relationship and behaved more like an 11-year-old than an adult.”
As well as a suspended prison sentence, Gribble was also sentenced to 30 days of activity programme and five days of rehabilitation activity requirement. A restraining order is also in place not to contact his victim.
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