Former BBC DJ Alex Belfield has been jailed after he was found guilty of waging a relentless stalking campaign against BBC Radio Northampton's Bernie Keith, and subjecting TV presenter Jeremy Vine to an "avalanche of hatred". During his trial, Belfield, 42, of Shaldon Close in Mapperley, had opted not to give evidence in his defence before giving a closing speech, in which he claimed he was a whistleblower who had seen two-and-a-half years of his life “torn apart” by police inquiries.
The prosecution said the YouTuber's stalking was more akin to 'internet trolling' than physical stalking, sending emails, tweets or making videos and subjecting victims to harassment and abuse - some of them over the course of many years. Belfield was described as a broadcaster who has worked in the media all his life.
He started out as a broadcast assistant on local radio and then became a radio presenter himself. In more recent years, he has set up his own channel on YouTube. He was convicted of 4 charges - two were alternatives of "simple stalking".
