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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Obsessed stalker with ‘erotomania' bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages & left gifts at her home
STAR'S ORDEAL Obsessed stalker with 'erotomania' bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages & left gifts at her home A STALKER with "erotomania" bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages and unwanted gifts for three years. Phil Appleton, who is 71, chillingly turned up at the 49-year-old star's house multiple times. Advertisement 3 Anna Friel poses with award for best performance by an actress in Marcella at the 45th International Emmy Awards at New York Hilton on November 20, 2017 Credit: Getty 3 A man with "erotomania" bombarded Channel 4 actress Anna Friel with sexual messages and unwanted gifts for three years Credit: Getty 3 Friel rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside - making history for sharing the first-ever, pre-watershed lesbian kiss Credit: Channel 4 Reading Crown Court heard he left "unwanted" presents for her between January 2022 and December 2024. The pensioner from Windsor in Berkshire is described online as an actor and retired pilot. He has been in custody for six months and spent time in a mental health facility. Appleton was due to stand trial, with special measures put in place to mitigate Friel's "fear and distress" while giving evidence. Advertisement However, this was called off after he performed a U-turn and admitted to stalking the Channel 4 star. Yesterday, Reading Crown Court heard Appleton has been diagnosed with a condition called erotomania, along with bipolar. Erotomania is characterised by a person's delusions of another person being in love with them, and usually affects women rather than men. It usually fixates on someone of a higher social status or a celebrity, but can extend to someone who is fictional or has died. Advertisement A psychiatrist told the court Appleton would need to be monitored by mental health professionals and he was unable to say if his fixation would ever end. Judge Alan Blake asked probation services to prepare a report on Appleton, and said he had a 'lack of full understanding and acknowledgement of the impact of his behaviour on the victim'. He said: 'It is more likely [that] consistent treatment will help him to contain his feeling and reduce the risk of stalking. It is plain that, on a number of occasions, Mr Appleton has indicated that he does not think he is unwell or needs to take his medication and has desisted in so doing.' Appleton was granted bail on the condition he not contact the actress or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Advertisement The judge declined to allow him to stay at an address in France, instead ordering him to remain at a family member's home in Suffolk. The pensioner is due to be sentenced on September 18. Friel rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside - making history for sharing the first-ever, pre-watershed lesbian kiss. She went on to star as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles in the ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her leading role in the ITV and Netflix series Marcella. Advertisement
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Anna Friel's 'fixated' stalker, 71, ordered to stay away from star's home as he's bailed
A 71-year-old man who has pleaded guilty to a stalking offence involving actress Anna Friel has been bailed and is due to be sentenced next month A man who stalked Anna Friel is due to be sentenced next month. Phil Appleton, 71, will attend court after he sent several messages to the star and visited her home address, leaving "unwanted" gifts. The incidents took place between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court had previously heard. Appleton has been bailed ahead of next month's sentencing. Earlier this week the pensioner pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. His initial sentencing was due to take place on Thursday. However, Judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out. Appleton has been told he must not contact the former Brookside actress, 49. He is also not allowed to enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, while he must co-operate with those tasked with conducting the pre-sentence report. He had been in custody for six months, the court heard. He is also said to have spent time in a mental health facility but has now been granted conditional bail. The stalking is said to have caused Ms Friel 'serious alarm or distress' and had 'an adverse effect on her day-to-day activities', the court heard in March. At the time, Appleton had pleaded not guilty. He previously pleaded not guilty to one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. The defendant, who appeared by videolink from HMP Bullingdon and did not have a solicitor present in court, told judge Neil Millard he accepted sending messages to Ms Friel and visiting her home address on several occasions, but denied his behaviour amounted to stalking. Friel is best known for her role as Detective Sergeant Marcella Backland in the hit ITV drama Marcella, which aired from 2016 until 2019. She also played the part of Beth Jordache in the iconic Channel 4 soap Brookside between 1993 and 1995. It was this role that landed her a National Television Awards in 1995. As well as he UK success, Friel forged an impressive CV stateside. She starred as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in the ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies from 2007 until 2009. She then had a lead role in the second season of the anthology series The Girlfriend Experience - which was created by Oscar winning Hollywood director Steven Soderbergh. In Marcella, the popular Netflix series, Friel landed an Emmy Award. She was named the winner of the Best Performance by an Actress category in 2017. Elsewhere in her impressive portfolio, she has appeared in films such as Limitless, alongside Bradley Cooper, and London Boulevard alongside Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley.
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Man who was ‘fixated' with Anna Friel ordered not to contact her before sentence
Phil Appleton, 71, sent numerous messages, visited the actress's home address on several occasions and left 'unwanted' gifts between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court previously heard. Appleton, of Windsor in Berkshire, pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 earlier this week. He was due to be sentenced on Thursday but judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out. The court heard that a psychiatrist had diagnosed Appleton with bipolar disorder and erotomania, where a person believes that someone else is in love with them. The psychiatrist said that Appleton had a 'fixation' with Friel and was trying to determine whether this was still the case, the court heard. The defendant, who the court heard has been in custody for six months and has spent time in a mental health facility, was granted conditional bail. Appleton must not contact Friel or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and is to co-operate with those conducting the pre-sentence report. A website under his name appears to suggest that he is an actor and retired pilot. Friel, 49, rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. She achieved international renown in 2007 starring as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the ITV and Netflix mystery drama series Marcella.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Man who was ‘fixated' with Anna Friel ordered not to contact her before sentence
Phil Appleton, 71, sent numerous messages, visited the actress's home address on several occasions and left 'unwanted' gifts between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court previously heard. Appleton, of Windsor in Berkshire, pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 earlier this week. He was due to be sentenced on Thursday but judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out. The court heard that a psychiatrist had diagnosed Appleton with bipolar disorder and erotomania, where a person believes that someone else is in love with them. The psychiatrist said that Appleton had a 'fixation' with Friel and was trying to determine whether this was still the case, the court heard. The defendant, who the court heard has been in custody for six months and has spent time in a mental health facility, was granted conditional bail. Appleton must not contact Friel or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and is to co-operate with those conducting the pre-sentence report. A website under his name appears to suggest that he is an actor and retired pilot. Friel, 49, rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. She achieved international renown in 2007 starring as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the ITV and Netflix mystery drama series Marcella.
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Man who was ‘fixated' with Anna Friel ordered not to contact her before sentence
Phil Appleton, 71, sent numerous messages, visited the actress's home address on several occasions and left 'unwanted' gifts between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court previously heard. Appleton, of Windsor in Berkshire, pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 earlier this week. He was due to be sentenced on Thursday but judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out. The court heard that a psychiatrist had diagnosed Appleton with bipolar disorder and erotomania, where a person believes that someone else is in love with them. The psychiatrist said that Appleton had a 'fixation' with Friel and was trying to determine whether this was still the case, the court heard. The defendant, who the court heard has been in custody for six months and has spent time in a mental health facility, was granted conditional bail. Appleton must not contact Friel or enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and is to co-operate with those conducting the pre-sentence report. A website under his name appears to suggest that he is an actor and retired pilot. Friel, 49, rose to fame with her role as Beth Jordache in Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. She achieved international renown in 2007 starring as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the ITV and Netflix mystery drama series Marcella.
