BBC presenter targeted by crazed stalker who also sent her sister bizarre gifts
The presenter was caused 'serious harm and distress' after being bombarded by Facebook messages
Broady was caused 'serious harm and distress'
BBC tennis presenter Naomi Broady was indundated with Facebook messages from a crazed stalker who also targeted her sister with a series of bizarre gifts, it has been revealed.
The former player - who works as a commentator on BBC Radio 5Live and was part of the broadcaster's coverage of Wimbledon earlier this summer - was bombarded with messages from David Richardson during a terrifying 11-month campaign between January and December 2023. It came after Richardson, 39, stalked Broady's sister Emma over a three-year period.
Richardson, of Stockport, Greater Manchester, appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court last month, where he pleaded guilty to the harassment of 35-year-old Naomi - who is also the brother of British No.5 Liam Broady - as well as the stalking of Emma, the Mirror reports.
According to court documents, he "sent multiple unwanted images and messages via Facebook and [sent] unwanted gifts, cards and paintings," while he also caused the presenter "serious harm and distress".
The court papers detail how Richardson "between 13/9/2020 and 4/12/2023 at Stockport, pursued a course of conduct, by sending multiple unwanted images and messages via Facebook and sending unwanted gifts, cards and paintings, which amounted to stalking causing Emma Broady serious alarm or distress, which had a substantial adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities when you knew or ought to have known that your course of conduct would cause alarm or distress."
They add: "Between 18/1/2023 and 4/12/2023 at Stockport, [Richardson] pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of Naomi Broady, and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her in that you sent various unwanted messages on Facebook."
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Richardson has now been banned from contacting the sisters or visiting their homes ahead of being sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on August 18.
When approached by the Mirror at his home in Stockport, Richardson confirmed he had entered guilty pleas, before explaining that he had tried to strike up a relationship with 37-year-old Emma, only for her to rebuff him and for him to start targeting Naomi instead.
"I wanted to try to win her over," he said. "I wanted to ask her out.. I was a bit out of practice with the girls... I've not been in a relationship. So I just bought her a Selfridges voucher and some flowers for her birthday. And then I didn't ask her out.
"But then Valentine's Day came along, so I bought her another Selfridges voucher and flowers, and then Christmas came along. You know, I sent it to her again, but she thanked me and said it really cheered her up."
As a player, Naomi won one WTA Tour doubles title, as well as nine singles titles and 20 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, before retiring in 2021.
It comes after fellow British tennis stars Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter were made victims of stalking campaigns, with the former left in tears on court at a tournament in Dubai earlier this year after seeing a man who had followed her to competitions in the stands.
The man, who was removed from the match and later given a restraining order by Dubai police, had given the 22-year-old a letter and asked for a photo with her in a coffee shop the previous day.
Raducanu had previously been the victim of a stalker who walked 23 miles to her home and stole a shoe from her porch, with the obsessive man - 35-year-old Amrit Magar - later given a five-year restraining order and made to wear an electronic tag.
Boulter, meanwhile, revealed that she has been followed by fans after tournaments, while she had received threats of violence from fans who were on site at competitions.
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'One time in Nottingham, I had someone messaging me on social media saying: 'I'm outside. I'm going to hurt you if you come outside'," she explained. "I alerted the WTA, and they found the guy, who was actually on site.
'Things like this happen all the time. Obviously we are very well protected, which makes you feel safe. The WTA does a great job of being there for you with that. I do feel like we are protected as much as possible, which at least puts your mind at ease a little bit.'
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