A man from East Cowes has been jailed for 15 weeks after admitting to stalking the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, including sending abusive messages and creating a fake social media account in her name.
Jason Nicholls, 55, of Grange Road, East Cowes, pleaded guilty to a charge of stalking without fear, alarm or distress in December last year. Now, he has been sentenced for his crime.
Between October 2022 and August 2024, Nicholls pursued a prolonged campaign of harassment against Chief Constable Jo Shiner. The court heard that he sent numerous emails, made telephone calls, and used social media to spread false and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption.
He also created a fake Twitter account in her name and posted personally abusive material.
The court was told that Nicholls’ conduct showed a persistent and planned pattern of harassment. His actions included the creation of mocked-up images and sustained online targeting, which he himself admitted involved thousands of messages.
Appearing at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on 25th April, Jason Nicholls was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison.
The court said a custodial sentence was necessary due to the seriousness of the offence, his flagrant disregard for others and previous court orders, and the calculated nature of the harassment.
Nicholls was also handed a restraining order on conviction.
He was ordered to pay £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £154 victim surcharge.
So what is the connection between some bloke in East Cowes and a Chief Constable in Sussex?
why did he do it?