Louise Minchin has candidly spoken out about her experience of online abuse following the sentencing of her stalker.
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In December 2021, Carl Davies, 44, was jailed for two years and eight months for causing alarm and distress to the former BBC Breakfast presenter and her daughter.
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The ex-soldier, who was previously handed a restraining order for stalking his ex-girlfriend Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts, pleaded guilty to sending abusive messages on Instagram and Snapchat to the 53-year-old and her daughter Mia, then 19, back in 2020.
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Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Louise detailed her stalking ordeal in a bid to "send a clear message to anyone who has been a victim of similar abuse that they are not alone, they are not powerless".
She wrote: "It is a truly blood chilling thing to discover a faceless stranger who wants to do you and your family serious harm, knows exactly where you live, has stood outside your house, and taken note of the cars that are parked in your drive.
"Having to endure horrendous online abuse is bad enough ‒ but when that online abuse turns into a physical threat too, and not just to you, but to your teenage daughter, it is terrifying."
Louise has spoken out about her experience of online abuse
Louise and Mia, along with husband David and youngest daughter Scarlett, were on holiday when the messages were received. "Overnight, messages came in thick and fast to both of our accounts. They were increasingly vile and graphic. By the morning, our inboxes were filled with shockingly violent threats," she detailed.
The former BBC Breakfast presenter almost quit at the time
"The threats were so graphic I still haven't allowed my husband to read them. No one should have to read those words."
While the messages and the account were deleted the next day, Louise had saved screenshots and sent them on to her BBC team, who quickly contacted the police. The investigation lasted for nine months before the perpetrator was charged.
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"For weeks, we felt like we were like prisoners in our own home," Louise wrote, noting that they added CCTV cameras and extra fencing for their safety.
Louise also admitted that she considered leaving her job at BBC Breakfast at the time, but her daughters told her not to "let him win" and stopped her from doing so. Louise announced she would be stepping down as a presenter on the morning show over a year later in June 2021.
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