Stalker who tried to get their victim arrested sentenced

A 37-year-old man who stalked a woman and assaulted a police officer, before making a false report to police trying to get his victim arrested has been sentenced.

Mark Kavanagh of Church View, Wrexham appeared at Chester Crown Court on 23 January 2025 where he was sentenced to 18 months suspended for 18 months for stalking, assaulting an emergency worker and perverting the course of justice.

He was also issued with a Restraining Order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

The court was told how in September 2023, the victim moved into a house share in Chester where Kavanagh rented a room.

By April 2024 Kavanagh developed a belief that he had been in a relationship with the victim, and became obsessed with her, where she was, who she was with, and making threats to assault any men she brought to the address.

Kavanagh’s behaviour escalated as time went on. The court heard how on one occasion a note with blood smeared on it was posted under the victim’s door.

Upon seeing this the victim went to check on Kavanagh's welfare and found him holding a knife, having caused injuries to himself. The court heard how he later stated to the victim, “I did it to test you”.

The court also heard how on other occasions Kavanagh would bombard the victim with messages stating he intended to harm himself as he believed the victim had returned home with a man.

Kavanagh was arrested by officers from the Chester Local Policing Unit on 8 May 2024. Upon being informed of the reason for his arrest, Kavanagh grabbed a knife prompting officers to restrain and disarm him, during which time he tried to bite an officer.

Kavanagh was interviewed by specialist Stalking investigators from Cheshire’s Harm Reduction Unit and subsequently charged with Stalking involving Serious Alarm / Distress and Assaulting an Emergency Worker. He was remanded into custody.

At court he was bailed with strict conditions not to contact the victim or enter Chester.

On Sunday 23 June 2024, Kavanagh contacted Cheshire Police reporting that the victim had uploaded intimate images of him onto a pornographic website using an account featuring her name. Officers’ suspicions were instantly raised when data seen in screenshots Kavanagh provided did not align with the account in his statement.

Detectives quickly established that the suspect account had in fact been created by Kavanagh six hours before he contacted police, and all the images had been uploaded from where Kavanagh was staying before being deleted 40 minutes later.

Kavanagh was further arrested and charged with Perverting the Course of Justice. He was remanded into custody and refused bail by the courts.

After initially denying the offences, Kavanagh pleaded guilty to Stalking, Perverting the Course of Justice, and Assaulting an Emergency Worker due to the overwhelming evidence against him.

Following the sentence, investigating officer Detective Constable Ashcroft from Cheshire’s Harm Reduction Unit said:

“Mark Kavanagh subjected the victim to what can only be described as abject cruelty, all because she ended a relationship that only ever existed in his mind.

“Kavanagh’s intention was clearly to exact revenge however he could. When bail conditions got in his way, he attempted to circumvent them by going to the police with venal lies, attempting to get her arrested like he had been. He evidently hoped that police would either not check his account or wouldn’t know how to, but he was wrong on both counts.

“His offending has understandably left his victim incredibly shaken. The distress they must have felt upon being informed of Kavanagh’s attempt to abuse our criminal justice system to harm her, after everything they’d already been through, must have been horrific. Her bravery and strength shown throughout this investigation is truly commendable.”

Detective Chief Inspector Danielle Knox said:

“This conviction demonstrates the commitment that Cheshire Police and the Harm Reduction Unit Investigations team have in bringing offenders to justice who commit stalking offences leaving no stone unturned in their work. The strength shown by the victim in this case is rightly recognised and I hope this shows that we will take all reports of stalking seriously and encourage victims to report their concerns to us even if they may not be sure it is stalking.”