2 days ago
Self-styled Lord allegedly pelted former lover's home with eggs, paint and bricks after she jilted him, court hears
A self-styled 'lord' waged a campaign of intimidation against a former partner after she ended the relationship, a court has heard.
Peter Sorrell, 65, allegedly threw items including rocks and eggs at the woman's home when their four-year affair ended.
He is also said to have daubed words such as 'slapper', and 'sex for sale' on her house during late night raids.
Jurors were told 'bizarre' letters and messages were sent to the woman, under the names of other people including the defendant's ex-wife, describing how she was causing 'suffering' to a 'good man'.
Others threatened her, the prosecution says, with comments including 'bitch is going to burn'.
Details of the alleged stalking have been heard at Norwich Crown Court in Norfolk, where the defendant has been turning up clutching a copy of the Magna Carta and insisted on being referred to as Lord Peter Sorrelll (sic).
Father-of-three Sorrell, a retired lorry driver who lives in a modest two-bedroom newbuild house in Bradwell, and the woman went out between 2014 and 2018, the prosecution say.
But when she told him the relationship was over he couldn't 'accept' the break-up and 'begged her to take him back'.
When this failed, he started on the course of action that led to his alleged victim to 'fear violence would be used against her'.
Sorrell denies putting a person in fear of violence by stalking between December 22, 2019 and November 19, 2020.
He has also pleaded not guilty to four breaches of a non-molestation order made by the Family Court in November 2019. The breaches occurred between March and November 2020, jurors heard.
Prosecutor John Fairhead said that other items thrown at the victim's house in Great Yarmouth included bricks and paint.
Paint was also used to write the graffiti on the front and back of her home including 'whore' and 'RIP, RIP'.
Mr Fairhead added the defendant 'sent her a number of letters', some handwritten and others on Facebook, claiming to be from his ex-wife, friends and well-wishers.
These were 'lengthy, rambling and, the Crown would say, frankly bizarre' as they outlined how he was a 'good man'.
'But apart from this frankly blatant emotional blackmail, the letters became increasingly abusive and menacing,' the prosecutor said.
They included a Valentine's card with the message: 'Happy Valentine's Day you black widow… when I play games, I play to the end.'
Messages from the Facebook accounts of several women were also actually composed by the defendant, the court heard.
These had comments such as 'you stupid bitch', 'you killed him, you're responsible' and 'bitch is going to burn'.
One warned that Sorrell would 'not see this year out if he doesn't stop hurting himself'.
The Crown claims the defendant was also seen 'wearing a wig to disguise himself' during late night visits to his victim's home.
Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman said the messages had become 'more and more threatening and aggressive'.
'I began to worry for my life. It made me feel scared to be in my own home,' she told the jury.
'My home was my safe place. It was my daughter's safe place. But it made me realise it was no longer a place I could feel safe.'
She also claimed Sorrell had been sending gifts and 'turning up at my neighbour's door asking to send me gifts' because he 'refused to accept' they were no longer together.
Referring to the letters, she said she recognised the handwriting and said of the comments they contained: 'It's a pattern he had been following for about a year-and-a-half.
'He's been trying to portray himself as a good guy and a victim in this.'
Finding the words 'RIP, RIP' scrawled on her house had 'made me fear eventually he would kill me'.
She added: 'It came to the point [where] I didn't want to leave the house because I didn't know what was going to happen.'
Sorrell, who is representing himself in court, tried to 'paint himself as the victim' when he was arrested and allegedly blamed his former wife for the graffiti, it is said.
He was initially released without charge but was later arrested for breaching the non-molestation order by being within 50m of his victim's home, the court heard.
He had gone to a launderette that was 36m from the house, claiming it was the only one open in the area at the time.
Mr Fairhead said the defendant had 'pursued a course of conduct' that caused his victim to 'fear violence would be used against her'.
He added: 'The Crown say all the evidence points to one person – the defendant, 'Lord Peter Sorrell'.'
The Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215, was a landmark document in English democracy that established that no one is above the law.
The trial continues.
