Former Yorkshire reporter Robert Sutcliffe sentenced for harassing women

A former newspaper reporter has avoided an immediate prison sentence after admitting harassing four women including former colleagues.

Robert Sutcliffe, 56, from Huddersfield, sent a stream of messages to the women over a seven-month period, including telling one he "could have her put in a car in half an hour".

He later described himself as "the most famous man in Huddersfield".

Sutcliffe's solicitor told Leeds Magistrates’ Court: "It is impossible to get away from the sexism running through this case."

The court was told how Sutcliffe, a former Yorkshire Post and Bradford Telegraph and Argus reporter, was working for the Huddersfield Examiner and its associated website Yorkshire Live when he targeted colleague Abigail Marlow with a series of messages and tweets.

Prosecutor Charles McCrerae said Ms Marlow had been mentored by Sutcliffe, before he turned nasty.

Mr McCrerae said Sutcliffe emailed her in June last year "criticising her work".

He said: "That was the first time she had seen that side to him and did feel bullied but dismissed it at the time".

But on another occasion Ms Marlow received "20 plus messages" from Sutcliffe, where his "tone had changed".

Mr McCrerae said: "She felt she couldn't say no to plans and she started to feel intimidated and scared."

When Ms Marlow said she could not attend social events, Sutcliffe "became hostile". He also sent an image of his naked chest.

He sent further messages throughout August. In September, Sutcliffe went to Ms Marlow's home uninvited with flowers, a bottle of wine and lollies for her children.

In another message, he said: "I think we need to put our friendship out of its misery".

He also referenced "romantic walks in the snow" when their relationship was said to have never been romantic.

Ms Marlow told Sutcliffe not to contact her again but he ignored the request.

Sutcliffe also put an image of Ms Marlow on his Twitter page and was arrested, interviewed and given a caution with conditions not to contact her or post about her on social media.

However, he breached the order "almost immediately" when he posted on Twitter about his experience in custody.

In her victim impact statement Ms Marlow said she continued to feel emotional on a day-to-day basis and the harassment left her feeling "vulnerable and living in fear of having to change routines of myself and my family".

She had CCTV installed at her home and became nervous.

Sutcliffe also targeted his manager, Yorkshire Live's head of news Faye Preston.

The court heard that Ms Preston and Sutcliffe had a disagreement at work after he refused a request relating to a piece of work.

Sutcliffe sent messages to Ms Preston saying she "didn't know what she was doing" and disparaging her ability in her role. Mr McCrerae said: "He suggested she had been over-promoted and would seek to expose her."

Sutcliffe was suspended from work in August last year following an allegation of gross misconduct. Following his suspension, Sutcliffe messaged Ms Preston to say: "What a mess you made, old girl."

He later posted a picture on Twitter of Ms Preston, comparing the size of her breasts to her intelligence.

Mr McCrerae said Sutcliffe had "bombarded" Ms Preston with messages and tweets for two weeks.

Some tweets were posted in the early hours of the morning and included pictures of Ms Preston. She described the messages and tweets as having "misogynistic undertones" and said she felt the situation had escalated "because I am a woman".

In her victim impact statement, Ms Preston said the messages only stopped when she "declared herself as a victim".

Mr McCrerae said: "She said he wanted to make her feel vulnerable and anxious and 'everything I am not.' She said she felt his behaviour was degrading and by posting pictures of her on Twitter to his hundreds of followers and colleagues she felt it was demeaning and humiliating".

Ms Preston said she was left struggling to eat and sleep and was "constantly" refreshing Twitter, to the point colleagues and friends stepped in to support her.

Mr McCrerae said: "At home she didn't feel safe - he knows the town she lives in. The worst aspect was being publicly degraded and him writing about the size of her breasts."

Mr McCrerae told the court Sutcliffe had also targeted two staff members working at his local pub, The Plumbers Arms.

He sent them identical messages between 10 and 11 November last year claiming he could "get people to put them in a car in half an hour anywhere in the world".

The prosecutor said both knew Sutcliffe from the pub - with one describing him as "strange". It was also said he was a "heavy drinker" who would drink three or four pints an hour.

In one message he said: "You're a world class user, you need to have a long hard look at yourself. You have an attractive streak but you have other qualities."

Sutcliffe was arrested again and a decision was made to charge him. He went on to plead guilty to five counts of harassment without violence.

The court heard Sutcliffe suffered with depression and bipolar disorder.

Mr Sayeris, mitigating, said: "He has worked in journalism from 1989 up until his suspension last year. A significant degree of his identity was tied to his job. He has been dogged by mental illness throughout his life, made worse by the loss of his profession.

"During this part of his life it was spiralling out of control while he was in the depths of a mental health crisis."

He added: "It is impossible to get away from the sexism running through his case but he says in his life he has wishes to support women."

District Judge Hollins said a probation worker undertaking Sutcliffe's pre-sentence report described him as "entitled" and said he had told her he is "the most famous man in Huddersfield".

"The deficit in your thinking skills and in your misogyny is, in my view, clear," he said.

Sutcliffe was given a 24-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

Restraining orders, prohibiting him from contacting all four victims directly or indirectly, posting about them on social media or attending The Plumbers Arms in Huddersfield were also made for three years.

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