A FORMER BBC local radio DJ has been found guilty of four stalking charges against broadcasters including Jeremy Vine.
At Nottingham Crown Court, jurors convicted YouTube radio host Alex Belfield on four counts after deliberating for 14 hours and 27 minutes.
Belfield, of Mapperley, Nottingham, showed no emotion and wrote on a piece of paper as verdicts were delivered.
The 42-year-old was found guilty of stalking BBC Radio Northampton presenter Bernie Keith and videographer Ben Hewis, and convicted of “simple” stalking in relation to Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany, meaning stalking without alarm or distress.
He was found not guilty of stalking charges in relation to the BBC’s former head of North Rozina Breen, former BBC Radio Leeds presenters Liz Green and Stephanie Hirst, and BBC worker Helen Thomas.
Alex Belfield was labelled “the Jimmy Savile of trolling” by Vine during a trial which heard he repeatedly posted or sent abusive messages, videos and emails.
Describing watching Belfield’s video output as like swimming in sewage, Vine said of the defendant’s conduct: “It felt like I had a fish hook in my face and my flesh was being torn, and the only way to avoid further pain was to stay completely still.”
The trial judge, Justice Saini, told the defendant he needed to be “extra careful about your online communications” as he adjourned sentence until September.
“There’s a good chance of a custodial sentence,” he added.
