Seven years of stalking ends in five-year jail term for pest who threatened sex and violence

A man who relentlessly stalked a woman and her family was brought to justice after a seven-year campaign of harassment and threats.

Shaheen Chishti, 54, of Foxglove Street, Shepherd’s Bush, met the victim at work in 2016 where he pursued a pattern of sexual harassment through email and social media platforms.

The victim reported a chain of unwanted emails and messages to the police, and Chishti was handed a police caution in December 2016. However, he continued to message the victim on social media and from multiple phone numbers.

The victim was contacted again by Chishti in September 2022 while she was at work. He used a work application to inform her that he kept hold of her personal details which he obtained as a former employee at the company.

The following year Chishti contacted the victim’s mother and shared explicit details of sexual acts that he intended to carry out and made threats to throw the victim into water as he knew she could not swim.

The victim notified the police that Chishti breached his conditions on January 23, 2023, and informed officers that he would be returning to the UK from India.

Local police officers arrested him as he landed in the UK and seized two mobile phones, before he was bailed under investigation. He was given strict conditions not to contact the victim.

Officers continued to investigate and build a case against Chishti. They downloaded the content on the phones and found the extensive list of messages from Chishti to the victim, including a large number of threats to both her and her family over a seven-year period.

Despite his new conditions, Chishti continued to communicate with the victim and was arrested on October 5 last year.

He was found guilty of stalking with fear of violence and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on Wednesday of last week at Isleworth Crown Court.

Police Constable Helen Constantinou, one of the officers responsible for policing Hammersmith & Fulham, said: “Officers worked hard to ensure that Chishti faced justice for the persistent stalking and harassment he inflicted on his victim.

“We know that some stalking victims are scared to come forward to report these crimes to the police. However, I would encourage anyone who believes they are being stalked or harassed to report this to the police or the National Stalking Helpline.”

Officers and partner organisations such as the Stalking Threat Assessment Centre and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will continue to work together to ensure that they are supporting victims of stalking and harassment and keeping them safe.

Further information for guidance on stalking and harassment can be found here.

Pictured top: Shaheen Chishti (Picture: The Met)