‘Obsessed’ stalker accused McFly's Tom Fletcher and actor Cameron Blakely of child abuse

McFly star and author Tom Fletcher has said a letter sent by an "obsessive" stalker from Greater Manchester was the "most disturbing thing he had ever read".

Leo Darcey, also known as Robert Heywood, has been jailed after bombarding several celebrities with a "campaign of vile letters" accusing them of child abuse.

The 30-year-old began sending the abusive letters to Manchester-based stage actor Scott Paige and his mum, stating his family should ‘burn in hell’.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard how a poster was put up in a pub in their local village which showed two pictures of Mr Paige taken from his Instagram account.

It read that he was ‘sick and ill’ and said he had an OnlyFans account showing him having sex with older men and promoting young teenage boys to have sex with older men.

Mr Paige received a further letter stating he and his friend, fellow actor Cameron Blakely, were ‘paedophiles’.

Darcey then went into Mr Paige’s mum's shop and put four photographs of Mr Blakely in front of her and asked if she had sent them to him.

In a victim personal statement, Mr Paige said he was left ‘terrified’ and scared for the safety of his family.

Colette Renton, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Blakely and his ex-wife, Bethan, also received numerous letters of abuse suggesting he had ‘raped his own daughter’.

Ms Renton said: “The letters were described to go into graphic detail. He then signed the letter as 'Alex Belfield, the voice of reason'.”

Friends and family of Mr Blakely also began receiving letters alleging that he was a paedophile and that they ‘needed to take action’.

A colleague of his received a letter accusing his ex-wife, a teacher, of being ‘complicit’ and compared them both to serial killers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

Ms Renton said: “Bethan and Cameron Blakely discussed the person responsible and he recalled that he knew Robert Heywood.

"The defendant’s mother had chased him into the car park after the show and said her son was upset he didn’t meet him."

Mr Blakely and Darcey began following each other on Twitter after meeting at the Addams Family showing in Salford but, after 'obsessive' messages, the actor blocked him.

Ms Blakely said: “This person had an issue with my ex-husband which can only be described as a fascination that bordered on an obsession.

"In these letters, they accused me of being complicit in the sexual abuse of my daughter and taking part in it myself."

Ms Blakely said: “Fortunately nobody believed these wild lies, however to have my parenting brought into question and justify myself was utterly devastating.

"I am a single mother trying to make ends meet. I was left in a constant state of anxiety and fear.

"This state of panic will not leave me unless Robert Heywood is behind bars. That much complete hatred for a number of people who have been affected by him - he will not stop. It has been a nightmare."

Mr Blakely added that he feared for his personal safety, along with the safety of his ex-wife and his daughter, and that he was deeply disturbed by the contents of the letters.

Another letter was sent to actor Robert Houchen to his address in Greenwich containing abusive language and death threats. Mr Houchen said he was left mentally disturbed.

McFly’s Tom Fletcher also received a letter from Darcey which he initially thought was fan mail.

However, it referred to his three children and contained three photos of them, accusing him of being a paedophile.

He said it was ‘the most disturbing thing he had ever read’ and made him feel vulnerable.

The final letters were sent to a businessman in Essex, who also received letters signed off as a friend of his.

These too accused him of being a paedophile and said that he was ‘looking for children to abuse’.

More letters were sent to him and his colleagues, some of which invited him to a ‘paedophile party’, detailed graphic abuse of children and made anti-Semitic comments.

He said in a statement that the letters caused him severe psychological harm and it had financially impacted his business.

Darcey was said to have one previous conviction for harassment after sending 100 abusive messages to another actor’s Facebook account suggesting they should kill themselves.

Mr Curtis added that his client is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and his poor mental health was exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown.

Darcey, of Urmston, Greater Manchester, was jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to sending malicious communication and harassment.

Sentencing, Judge John Potter said: “You conducted what can only be described as a sustained and vicious campaign of hatred towards several individuals and others close to them.

"Some of them obtained a degree of celebrity, other victims were employed as a teacher and businessman.

"All of them have been profoundly affected by your behaviour. All were wholly innocent victims of your grossly offensive and abusive behaviour."

Darcey was also made the subject of a restraining order, banning him from contacting all of the victims indefinitely.