A “DELUSIONAL” middle-aged man has been given a restraining order banning him from contacting the 22-year-old Tesco checkout worker he became “fixated” with.
Samantha Bryce told a court she felt “sick to the stomach” by the behaviour of 56-year-old photographer Nicholas Fenney, especially when he sent her a Valentine's card depicting rabbits having sex, Gloucester Crown Court heard.
Fenney first showed an interest in university graduate Miss Bryce when he presented her with a calendar of his duck photographs at her checkout at the Tesco in Tetbury, the court was told.
Checkout team leader Miss Bryce told the court Fenney handed her the calendar in a brown envelope which had her name on it - but the surname was misspelt.
She said she could not understand how he knew her second name at all because her Tesco badge gave only her first name.
Next time she saw him at her till he commented about the horse picture on her name badge and revealed that he knew she owned a grey horse, she said.
"That really freaked me out because my horse is a dappled grey but I had no idea how he knew that," she said.  "I tried to ignore it. When the transaction was finished he presented me with a piece of white paper when I gave him his receipt. The paper had his contact details on it. I alerted my parents about him that night."
Her third encounter with him was some weeks later in early February this year when she got a text from a colleague telling her a Valentine card had arrived for her at work, she said.
"When I got to work I saw the card and it said 'Samantha Janssen' on the envelope,” she said. “It also said 'The petite blonde girl, half Danish.' I'm not Danish so I don't know where he got that from. Although it said Jansen I am the only petite blonde Samantha in the store.
"The card inside had a picture of rabbits in bed doing God knows what. I thought it was disgusting. The insinuation in that card made me feel sick to my stomach. It had 'I love you' written in pencil at the bottom of the card."
A few days later she was told by her manager that Fenney had made a complaint to Tesco head office alleging he had heard staff insulting her while reprimanding her, but no such incident ever took place, she said.
In his letter to Tesco, Fenney said: “We have been trying to date one another for six months without success and there are complex personal issues involved.”
It was on hearing about his bizarre complaint that Miss Bryce called police and reported Fenney for stalking.
Fenney, of Windsor Road in Tetbury, who describes himself on his website as a photographer, desktop publisher and French translator, was prosecuted for harassing Miss Bryce earlier this year.
But he successfully appealed at the court on Friday, even though the judge said he accepted Miss Bryce's evidence and rejected Fenney's version of events.
Judge William Hart said the court found Fenney to be a “delusional and fixated fantasist” but his behaviour had not amounted to the legal definition of harassment or stalking.
The court made a two year restraining order barring Fenney from contacting Miss Bryce in any way or going within five metres of her.
In evidence, Fenney said that Miss Bryce had once shouted at him loudly across the store suggesting he should ask her out on a date, among other claims.
Judge Hart said: “Samantha Bryce is 22. Any objective observer would describe her undoubtedly as an extremely physically attractive young woman.
“The appellant, by contrast, is an ordinary looking man in his mid-fifties. That is not said to complain or condemn - it is just a statement of fact.
“We found Ms Bryce to be a believable and compelling witness.”
The judge added: “We find him to be someone who has formed and who still has a completely irrational interest in this innocent young woman.
“He denies being fixated by this young woman but we have come to the view that unless he is subject to a restraining order he is likely to subject her to further conduct which will amount to harassment."