Emma’s stalker hell: I’m not safe in my own home

Star tells court of terror after being stalked at home

EMMA Raducanu has said she no longer feels safe in her own home after a stalker visited it three times and stole her father’s shoe as a ‘souvenir’, a court heard yesterday.

The US Open champion, 19, told police she is ‘constantly looking over her shoulder’ after a besotted former Amazon delivery driver tracked down her address and left notes, flowers and even Christmas decorations.

After watching her on television while unemployed, married Amrit Magar, 35, travelled to the London suburb where Miss Raducanu lives with her parents and asked strangers for directions to her home. Having located the address, on one occasion he left a note saying the teenager ‘deserved love’ and on another

‘I want to move to a new house’

drew a map illustrating the 23 miles he had walked from Edgware, north London, in the hope of meeting her.

On the final occasion 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’.

Magar was found guilty at Bromley Magistrates’ Court yesterday of stalking. He will be sentenced next month.

In a statement read to the court yesterday, 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

STALKER ON HER DOOR CAMERA, HIS CARD & MAP BETWEEN THEIR HOMES

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. 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.

Giving evidence yesterday, Magar said he was ‘ashamed’ now he knew he upset her.

Finding him guilty, District Judge Sushil Kumar said: ‘His inability to explain how he did not think this was harassment is incapable of belief.’

Magar was bailed on the basis he does not contact Miss Raducanu and her parents, and visit the street they live on. Miss Raducanu was contacted for comment.