Tuesday, 24 Sep 2024

Delivery driver who stalked Emma Raucanu hit with restraining order

Married ex-Amazon delivery driver, 35, who stalked Emma Raducanu, 19, and was caught on a doorbell camera leaving notes and cards at the tennis ace’s home and stealing her father’s SHOE is handed a five-year restraining order

  • Married Amrit Magar, 35, travelled to London suburb where Miss Raducanu lives 
  • He ‘walked 23 miles’ and left the tennis star a map of the route on one occasion 
  • Ex-Amazon driver was arrested after her father, Ian, was alerted by doorbell cam 
  • Magar was handed a five-year restraining order and 18-month community order 

A stalker who walked 23 miles to the home of British tennis star Emma Raducanu, taking her father’s shoe as a souvenir, has been handed a five-year restraining order.

Married man Amrit Magar, 35, was last month found guilty of stalking the 19-year-old US Open champion between November 1 and December 4 last year after a trial at Bromley Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard he went to the world number 12’s home on three separate dates, loitered outside, left unwanted gifts and cards and stole property from the porch.

Ex-Amazon delivery driver Magar’s actions left the British tennis superstar feeling unsafe in her own home, with Raducanu telling the court she was left ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ following the ordeal.

He was arrested after the British number one’s father Ian was alerted by a doorbell camera, finding his trainer had been taken from the porch. 

On Wednesday, District Judge Sushil Kumar handed Magar, from Harrow, north-east London, a five-year restraining order and sentenced him to an 18-month community order, including 200 hours of unpaid work and an eight-week curfew between 9pm and 6am monitored by an electronic tag. 

Married man Amrit Magar, 35, was handed a five-year restraining order and sentenced to an 18-month community order for stalking the 19-year-old British tennis star Emma Raducanu. Pictured: Magar outside Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday

The tennis superstar was left feeling unsafe in her own home, with Raducanu (pictured above at the Abierto of Zapopan tournament in Mexico on Tuesday) telling the court she was left ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ following the ordeal

Having located her address, on one occasion Magar drew a map (above) illustrating the 23 miles he had walked from Edgware, north London, in the hope of meeting Raducanu

Mr Magar, 35, travelled to the London suburb where Miss Raducanu lives with her parents and asked strangers for directions to her home.

On one occasion, he left a bouquet of flowers with a note reading ‘nothing to say but you deserve love’, while on another he drew a map to show the ’23 miles’ he had walked from his home.

Later, on December 4, Magar decorated a tree in Miss Raducanu’s front garden with Christmas lights and then stole a trainer from the porch, thinking it belonged to the sports star.

But it belonged to her father, Ian, who recognised Magar from doorbell camera footage as someone who had visited the property previously, and followed him in his car while informing police. 

When he was arrested, Magar was found with the shoe in his bag and informed officers he ‘wanted a souvenir’. 

Sentencing Magar, who appeared in the dock wearing maroon trousers and a dark hooded coat, on Wednesday Mr Kumar said he had caused ‘some distress and some harm’.

‘There was some degree of planning, not least shown by the fact you walked 23 miles to attend Miss Raducanu’s address,’ he said.

‘Upon hearing the victim personal statements of Miss Raducanu and her family, it is very much apparent changes to their lifestyle have been contemplated and are currently in train, not least the acquisition of security, potentially, and also moving house.’

The court heard the first time married Magar, whose wife is a nurse, went to the area he asked neighbours for Raducanu’s exact address.

Seval Dunn, defending, said: ‘He appears to me to be a fairly mild-mannered man.

‘He has assured me nothing of this nature will ever happen again. He assured me he did not wish for Miss Raducanu to suffer in the way she describes suffering.’

In a statement read to the court last month, Miss Raducanu said she is worried about going out alone.

Speaking to officers over the telephone last month while she was in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, the Grand Slam winner said: ‘Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.

‘Because of this I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I feel on edge and worried this could happen again. I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.’

Miss Raducanu, who said she was worried ‘about the stress of the public knowing I had a stalker’, added: ‘I want to move to a new house with better security because I am worried he might come back as he knows where my home is.’

The court heard that Magar first visited the Raducanu family home in south-east London on November 23. 

When arriving at the door with a bouquet of flowers and a note, he was confronted by Miss Raducanu’s parents but said he was a delivery driver dropping off gifts from somebody else.

The note said, ‘nothing to say, but you deserve love’, and was signed by Magar, who also added the names of his wife Bina and their dog Logan.

On the second occasion, on December 2, he posted a red envelope through the letterbox which contained a hand-drawn ‘map’ showing the distance he had walked from his Edgware home to Miss Raducanu’s address. A note said: ’23 miles walked 4 you.’

Two days later, Magar visited the property again armed with fairy lights. 

The court heard that Magar first visited the Raducanu family home in south-east London on November 23. When arriving at the door with a bouquet of flowers and a note, he was confronted by Miss Raducanu’s parents but said he was a delivery driver dropping off gifts from somebody else. The note (above) said, ‘nothing to say, but you deserve love’, and was signed by Magar, who also added the names of his wife Bina and their dog Logan

Speaking to officers over the telephone last year while she was in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, the Grand Slam winner said: ‘Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own’

After decorating a tree in the front garden, he posted the remaining lights and spare batteries through the letterbox before realising the porch door was open. He then stole one of Mr Raducanu’s trainers.

In a statement, Mr Raducanu said: ‘I received a notification on my phone from the Nest doorbell. It said someone was at the front of the house.

‘I went outside and could see a male stood on the pavement. He began running away.’

Mr Raducanu then followed Magar to a nearby bus stop where he called the police. 

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