Stalker’s threat of ‘meat horror’ to barrister ex

An ex-girlfriend of a top barrister bombarded him with texts and messages about animal cruelty weeks after she was convicted of stalking and ordered to leave him alone, a court heard.

Helen Faure, 52, was handed a restraining order last June after developing an “extremely unhealthy obsession” with civil litigation barrister Charles Béar KC.

The pair had dated for about seven months, Highbury Corner magistrates court heard, before Mr Béar broke off the relationship in August 2021.

When she was convicted of stalking last summer, Faure was ordered to cease contacting the barrister and remain at least 200 metres away from his Highgate home.

But the court heard how she sent a slew of messages to Mr Béar.

Handing her a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, magistrate Mark Oxman told Faure she was likely to be sent to jail if she did not stop.

Penny Fergusson, prosecuting, said Mr Béar’s ex-partner became a target of Faure’s behaviour, while his seven-year-old daughter was “traumatised” by one incident.

Faure turned up at Mr Béar’s home repeatedly, loitered outside his chambers, and in one incident she entered his home and refused to leave.

Faure flouted a restraining order five times and came within 200 metres of his home when visiting his local coffee shop. When Faure learned he had told police, she texted Mr Béar, saying: “Piece of sh*t, calling 999 to cry.” Another email referred to “meat horror” — said to be a “new obsession” of Faure’s “linking the victim with particular forms of animal injury”.

Faure pleaded guilty to harassment. She was ordered to complete 10 rehabilitation days, and pay £272 in costs.