Jail for stalker who smeared Covid scientist

Heading sent to prison for eight months

Report by BBC Isle of Man:

A stalker who sent 'incessant emails and tweets' to the scientist who set up PCR testing during the coronavirus pandemic has been jailed.

Ramsey man Courtenay Heading was found guilty of targeting Dr Rachel Glover.

Douglas Courthouse heard Heading harassed her with messages, some of which compared her to Nazi medics.

Jailing Heading, 66, for eight months, High Bailiff James Brooks said it was 'hard to conceive of a worse case of stalking' short of physical contact.

A victim impact statement written by Dr Glover was read to the court.

The scientist, who was pregnant throughout much of the harassment, said Heading's behaviour made her anxious and paranoid and she put up cameras and alarms at her home.

The court heard Heading called her a 'fraudster' and 'murderer'.

The impact on the scientist's mental and physical health had been 'profound' Mr Brooks said.

Dr Glover referred to the treatment she had experienced during the pandemic in her evidence to an independent Covid-19 inquiry.

In it she said that despite the "smear campaign" against her, setting up the Covid-19 testing laboratory for the Isle of Man was 'the proudest moment of my scientific career'.

Heading, who represented himself, refused to comply with the court proceedings.

He claimed the court was 'complicit in a great crime' calling the vaccination process a 'genocide on the Isle of Man'.

High Bailiff Brooks said Heading had shown a 'complete lack of remorse' for his 'incessant harassment' noting his consistent 'scoffing' throughout the court hearing.

He said Heading had shown a 'failure to cooperate properly' and had turned the legal process into a 'quasi-political circus'.

On top of his jail sentence Heading is banned from contacting Dr Glover, in any way, including by copying her into emails or posting about her online.