Fitness instructor who began stalking a man she had been in a sexual relationship with and made a rape complaint against him which led to his arrest is spared jail

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A fitness instructor who relentlessly stalked a married man and accused him of rape after he ended their sexual relationship to get back with his wife has been spared jail.

Rebecca Hooper, 43, and her current boyfriend Brian Townsend, 47, made their victim's life 'hell' after telling his family that he was a 'predator' and a rapist.

Townsend also turned up at the victim's house and place of work and placed trackers on his car.

The unnamed victim, who was arrested and later released over the rape allegation, told how the accusations had tainted his and his family's life because 'mud sticks'. 

Both Hooper and Townsend were jailed for 16 months, suspended for two years, and handed 10-year restraining orders. 

Newport Crown Court heard how Hooper had met the victim at the Bridgend Life Centre where she worked and they began a 'casual relationship' which he described as 'friends with benefits'. 

But the relationship came to an end after the man got back together with his wife.

Rebecca Hooper, 43, started stalking a man she had previously been in a sexual relationship with - and made a rape complaint against him

Prosecutor Christopher Evans said Hooper called the victim and asked to resume their previous sexual relationship and sent texts multiple times a day. 

She would comment on Facebook posts related to his son and was looking at photographs going back years. The victim's wife received a friend request from Hooper and she commented on her posts.

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The victim was forced to block Hooper on social media and WhatsApp to stop her sending him messages. 

Hooper told the victim her partner Townsend had found messages between them and was 'upset' about it.

The victim told Hooper he wanted nothing to do with it and ended the call but he started to receive abusive calls from Townsend who accused him of being a rapist.

In June 2023, Townsend turned up at the victim's home and spoke to his adult daughter, screamed abuse at her and referred to her father as a 'sexual predator'.

Hooper's mother also called the victim and accused him of forcing her daughter to have sex with him. 

Two of the victim's friends also received messages from Hooper requesting his address and his partner's details.

On one occasion, the victim discovered a van tyre had been deliberately punctured and two weeks later a colleague saw Hooper interfering with the victim's van. 

When the van was checked it was found to have a tracking device, which collected information such as coordinates and speeds, which was registered to Townsend.

Hooper, 43, and her current boyfriend Brian Townsend (pictured together), 47, made their victim's life 'hell' after telling his family that he was a 'predator' and a rapist

The victim's wife later received a letter from Hooper in which she stated she had mental health issues and accused the man of raping her. 

She was upset and the victim felt his 'stomach sinking' after being told about the accusation.

Hooper went on to make an online report to the Metropolitan Police who referred the matter to South Wales Police. 

The victim was arrested and interviewed but no further action was taken. He vehemently denied the accusations and there was no suggestion by the court he did anything wrong.

Following his release from custody, the victim continued to receive abuse from the defendants with both driving past the victim on separate occasions and sticking their fingers up at him. 

There was further vandalism to his van tyres and the victim was fined for failing to attend swimming classes, which had been booked by Hooper without his knowledge.

Mr Evans said: 'This conduct caused [the victim] great distress and paranoia. He was constantly being on the lookout for them. He started travelling with different routes and made his journeys longer than normal. He deactivated social media accounts so the defendants could not contact him and stopped attending the swimming pool, gym, and his son's rugby matches. He and his family were greatly affected by the complaint of rape.'

The defendants, both of Llangewydd Avenue, Bryntirion, Bridgend, were arrested in October 2023. 

Both made denials at interview but both later pleaded guilty to stalking. The court heard they were both of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said: 'The past 12 months have been hell for me and my family. The suffering we'll continue to deal with today and beyond.

'I don't think we will ever recover from this horrific crime - something I never ever wanted to go through. Emotionally I am broken - my family are broken. I wake up with hot sweats, struggling to sleep, and am always paranoid and worried about my family.

'I am emotionally damaged by this and I'm suffering from serious anxiety and paranoia. Things will never be the same again. I am anxious they might turn up at the front door. I make sure windows and doors are locked in our homes. We feel like prisoners in our own home and our own community. I avoid the Bridgend area as I'm scared of seeing Rebecca and Brian.

'She accused me of rape - this is not true and was reflected in the outcome of that investigation but it will stick like mud. It breaks my heart daily worrying about what people might say as a result of their actions. I am always looking over my shoulder and paranoid.

'Myself and my partner go out in public very rarely - we're asking if people know us, what have they been told, and will they say anything to us. Our quality of life has been affected severely. Our whole life has been forced to change - it's violated our safe space and my home has been abused.'

In mitigation the court heard Hooper has mental health issues and is suspected of having neurodiverse challenges but she has not been diagnosed.

Giles Hayes, mitigating for Hooper, said her client had an inability to deal with the end of the relationship and described her conduct as 'dangerous and irresponsible'. It was said Townsend accepted his emotions 'got the better of him' and his behaviour was 'unacceptable'.

Sentencing, Recorder Neil Owen-Casey described Hooper's conduct as 'an extreme reaction to the breakdown of a relationship'. Recorder Owen-Casey said: 'Any point of remorse, I am afraid, is absent in this case.'

Hooper was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 12 days of a mental health requirement, a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and to pay compensation of £500 and costs of £150.

Townsend was also sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was made subject to a four-month curfew and ordered to pay compensation of £500 and costs of £150. Both defendants were made subject to restraining orders for 10 years.