Shelagh Fogarty Opens Up About Her Stalker Ordeal
19 January 2018, 10:00
An emotional Shelagh Fogarty revealed the psychological impact caused by someone she believes is stalking her.
After Emily Maitlis revealed the heartache of having a stalker for 20 years, Shelagh opened up about her own terrifying experience of being followed and watched.
Speaking on her LBC show, he told listeners: "I believe that I am being stalked. I'm going to use terms like I believe and alleged because this is an ongoing investigation.
"I've made allegations to the police against this individual. He hasn't yet been arrested, but he has been interviewed twice by police. It's only recently reached a point where we're looking at arrest and charges."
Shelagh said she had recently learned how fixated the man is with her and revealed the psychological impact it has had on her.
"To start with, going back a year and a half, it was just an irritation. It took up too much of my time dealing with police in relation to him.
"Then there was a sense of being watched, which changes things because if you are being watched, you become watchful, which takes energy away from your normal way of being.
"Just over a year ago, I challenged him face to face when he appeared at a meeting that I had rescheduled two hours before, so how he ended up in the same place as me, I guess it means he was following me, that's my understanding of that day.
"But it was the recent thing of him appearing where I live that was a big problem. It's gone up a notch.
"I am being pretty sensible out it, I'm distracting myself from it, but I've definitely experienced psychological stress from it, I've had dreams about people being in my house. It's a stress."
The experience has made her realise that the law is too weak on stalking. She added: "The reality is he is persistently committing a crime against me, I allege.
"Stalking, of whatever nature, is an act of violence against a person. Even if a hand is never laid on you, I believe it should be treated as an act of violence against someone."
