My stalker asked me to stay at his house and to go for a ride in his car – but then his obsession took a sinister twist | The Sun

A FRIENDLY smile sparked a dangerous obsession that left Leannna Robinson, 18, trapped in her home. 

Now, after being stalked by a new classmate, Leanna, from Derbyshire, reveals how she is now putting the traumatic experience behind her.

Throwing my phone on the bed, I ran to the window, anxiously scanning the dark street below, convinced I’d see the shadowy figure of my stalker, Karime Elnagar, lurking there.

He’d just messaged me for the tenth time that day. I knew I wouldn’t sleep a wink, terrified he was outside my home waiting for me. His obsession was ruining my life.

I first met Karime, then 20, a few months earlier, in September 2022, at the start of a new term at Chesterfield College, Derbyshire, when he joined my class. I was studying public services and hoped to join the Navy.

I’d smiled at him and said hello, to be friendly. He seemed nice and we chatted a little about our dogs. Afterwards, he added me on social media, which I didn’t mind, but I told him I had a boyfriend, Kian, 18, to be clear that I only saw him as a classmate and nothing more.

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As the weeks passed, Karime sent me lots of messages on Snapchat, asking how I was or how my day had gone. At first, I replied to be polite. We’d chat about things like our college assignments. But when he began to message constantly, I ignored him, hoping he’d take the hint. He didn’t. 

Instead, he sent me videos on Snapchat asking me to stay over at his house and to go for a drive in his car, saying he’d like to sing songs for me. I began to feel really uncomfortable. He was being totally inappropriate, especially as I’d told him I had a boyfriend.

That November, I asked him to stop messaging, and hoped he’d leave me alone. But he kept sending videos – up to 20 a day – asking what he’d done wrong, and if there was anything he could do to fix it. 

I had a part-time job in McDonald’s and he sent me a photo from a different branch, asking: ‘Is this where you work?’ It really creeped me out. I was scared he might turn up at my work, and I didn’t know what he might do. 

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Kian knew about the messages – I’d told him about them early on – and, at first, he hadn’t been worried. But now we both realised Karime wasn’t acting normally. It was clear he was obsessed with me, and we began to feel stressed about it.

Both of us were just teenagers and felt really out of our depth. I didn’t know what to do to make it stop and neither did Kian. I didn’t confide in my parents either, because I didn’t want to worry them.

Back in college, Karime continued to try to communicate with me. But when he asked me in class if I was OK, and how my college work was going, I just walked off. 

I couldn’t understand how he could act so normally when he was harassing me. 

But then his obsession took a sinister twist. He began sending messages, saying things like: “I know everything. You don’t need to explain,” and: “I know people who know stuff about you.” He threatened to go to the police, and even though I’d done nothing wrong, I began to feel anxious and panicky. 

When a friend pulled me aside one day and told me that Karime had been spreading rumours around college that Kian was abusing me and blackmailing me to keep quiet, it was all too much. My heart began to race and I felt like I couldn’t breathe – I was having a panic attack. I phoned Kian and told him I was scared about what Karime might do next.

Kian was calm and level-headed and we agreed I should talk to my tutor, who told me she’d monitor Karime. Meanwhile, Karime told my friends he really liked me. He said he imagined us sitting in front of a fireplace and could see we had a future together. Hearing that made me feel even more sick with worry. 

In December 2022, my college tutor told me that Karime had filed a report to the police claiming Kian was physically abusing me. He’d told the police he’d seen bruises up my arms, caused by Kian. I was appalled. I told her it was a complete lie. I began to panic, worrying what he’d do next and how far he’d go. 

At this point, my tutor called my parents to explain what had been happening. When I got home, they were really upset and worried for my safety. Mum said I should have told them sooner, but I explained I hadn’t wanted to worry them and had just hoped it would all stop.

That evening, two police officers came to my house and took a statement, reassuring me they’d deal with Karime. After that, I barely left the house as I was so afraid. Each time I heard a raised voice in the street or there was a knock at the door, my blood ran cold.

As far as I knew, Karime didn’t know where I lived, but I was scared he’d track me down. I usually took the bus, but Mum drove me to college and work, dropping me at the door and collecting me again. I didn’t go anywhere else, including out with friends.

Soon after, the police informed me Karime had been arrested and released on bail, with the condition he didn’t contact me. I felt relieved and a bit safer hearing this.

In March this year, Kian and I split up. It wasn’t linked to the stalking – we had just grown apart, but we remain friends and I’ll always be grateful for his support.

Then in May, Karime appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court, and pleaded guilty to stalking me.

The court heard that when he was arrested, he told police he was in love with me and I was terrified of my boyfriend. The judge told Karime: “You are clearly obsessed with this young lady, but she has no feelings towards you whatsoever.”

I chose not to attend court. I didn’t want to see Karime, and when my case officer told me he’d pleaded guilty, I was so relieved, because it meant I wouldn’t have to go through the trauma of giving evidence.

Last month, Karime, who’d been out on bail since pleading guilty, was given a 16-week suspended sentence and a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting me, and a ban on him entering all McDonald’s in Chesterfield.

Now, at long last, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I’m trying my best to put the horrible experience behind me. I’m happily single at the moment, and I’m so grateful to family and friends who have helped me through this traumatic time. I wish I’d told my family earlier, instead of trying to deal with the situation myself. 

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I’m getting on with my life now, and still hope to join the Navy one day soon. And even though Karime is still out there, I refuse to be scared. 

I never expected to become a victim of stalking simply because I was friendly to someone, but I can’t let one man’s obsession change the way I think about people, or how I live my life – I refuse to give him that power over me. 

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