A STALKER who repeatedly showed up at his ex-partner’s gym, home and workplace has been ordered to complete unpaid work.

Jason Hopkinson continued to contact his former fiancee Susan Taylor.

On one occasion he spotted her driving in the opposite direction so turned round and followed her to her workplace in Eastbourne to hand over an unwanted gift.

He had been warned by police not to contact her.

But for nearly eight months he routinely interrupted her gym workouts at the David Lloyd club in the town.

Panic

His conduct left her feeling as though she was “constantly in panic mode”, even in her own home.

At Hove Crown Court yesterday he admitted stalking her between May 2017 and January 2018 because he could not handle the break-up of the relationship.

Charlotte Morrish, prosecuting, said that Hopkinson’s number was blocked on Ms Taylor’s phone but he continued to send her voicemail messages.

They had a joint gym membership together, so he would approach her in the car park and inside, meaning she had to try to avoid him.

On one occasion he confronted her and said: “How many blokes is it now since we split up?

“Four?”

Natasha Dardashti, defending, said Hopkinson was responsible for paying for the gym membership so contact was difficult to avoid.

She said he did “not cope well” with the breakdown of the relationship, but said it was not his intention to intimidate her.

Recorder Mark Van Der Zwart said it was a serious offence, but not serious enough for prison, as the former BT worker has a “low risk of reoffending”.

Hopkinson has not contacted Ms Taylor for about a year.

The judge said: “I hope you can think about how frightening this would be for someone, and how concerning this determined conduct would be.”

He ordered Hopkinson, 53, of Brightling Road, Polegate, to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and imposed a restraining order on him.