Philip Stott, led by Miranda Moore QC, prosecuted Sabine McNeill for multiple counts of stalking causing serious harm or distress (section 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997) and breaching a restraining order (section 5 of the same Act).
Over the course of three years, Ms McNeill, 73, targeted online four people who had been falsely accused of being involved in a satanic paedophilic cult, promulgating those untrue accusations and causing the victims and their families to suffer death threats, to have to move house and to change their children’s schooling amongst other serious consequences.
Ms McNeill was convicted on 14 December 2018 after a trial at Southwark Crown Court. On 10 January 2019, she was sentenced by HHJ Cahill QC to imprisonment for eight years for the stalking offences, and a further year (to be served consecutively) for breaching the restraining order. The sentence for the stalking offences is believed to be the highest passed for that offence since the maximum sentence was increased to 10 years in 2017.
Philip Stott was instructed by Kate Mulholland of the Serious Crime Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service (London).
For more information, please see reports in The Telegraph and The Times.