Chinwem Nwachuku

A stalker who was banned from Westquay shopping centre in Southampton also targeted a female Boots worker, leaving his victims terrified and fearful of walking alone in the city, Southampton Crown Court heard.

The primary victim, Boots shop assistant Bethany Funnell, repeatedly pleaded with Chinwem Nwachuku to leave her alone. Despite being banned from the store on Above Bar Street, Nwachuku turned up on multiple occasions, making inappropriate comments about her appearance that made her feel uncomfortable. Prosecution barrister Richard Martin described how Nwachuku looked Miss Funnell up and down and told her, 'you know you’re my type'. This behaviour left the victim scared to walk through Southampton on her own.

In her victim personal statement from October this year, Miss Funnell expressed her terror: 'When this man started stalking me, I said that I was “concerned for my welfare as I do not know where his boundaries lie,” I can tell you today that I am no longer concerned for my welfare, I am terrified.' She added, 'I should be able to go about my day-to-day life without having to call my mum in hysterics because I’m scared... without my dad telling me that I need to leave my place of employment, as I am no longer safe there... without my partner having to continuously listen to my worries.'

On a separate occasion, Nwachuku entered a store in Westquay, where he was also banned, and approached another female assistant. After asking for her name and number, he touched the woman’s hair, telling her 'you’re nice' and 'you have a nice shape to you'. These incidents occurred during the summer of last year while Nwachuku, then 40, was living with his brother in Southampton. He now resides with his mother in Vale Road, Finsbury Park, London.

Nwachuku appeared before Southampton Crown Court charged with sexual assault and stalking without fear, alarm, or distress. He was found guilty of stalking but admitted to the sexual assault charge. Defending barrister David Kemeny argued that a sentence would be best served by his client learning how to talk to women and others in a respectful way. Judge Nicholas Rowland sentenced him to ten months in jail, suspended for two years. Nwachuku must complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 31 sessions on the Horizon programme, and ten rehabilitation activity days. He has also been made subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with his victims.

The case was reported by the Daily Echo and highlights the ongoing issues of stalking and sexual harassment in public spaces in Southampton.