A woman who stalked a Holby City actress and sent her rape and death threats has been jailed.
Sarah Rumbelow became a huge fan of Rosie Marcel after watching her play ruthless surgeon Jac Naylor in the hit BBC drama series.
But her admiration for the star soon turned sinister and she began sending the actress hateful emails, tweets and messages via chat rooms.
The 21-year-old was arrested after Marcel, 36, called police, and on Friday she pleaded guilty to putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.
Rumbelow, from Brockley, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at St Albans crown court. Ms Marcel, who watched her stalker being sentenced, said afterwards: “It was a just sentence. Now I just want to get on with my life.”
The online hate campaign began in January last year when Rumbelow posted threats to harm or kill Ms Marcel on social network sites and sent threats by email and in letters.
The court heard there was “an element of concealment” in the way Rumbelow had sent the communications because she had set up a variety of bogus accounts so her real identity would not be revealed.
She was eventually arrested in October last year after Hertfordshire Police tracked her down and found masses of newspaper cuttings and articles about the actress at her home.
In May, Rumbelow, who suffers from ADHD and asperger syndrome, appeared before Judge John Plumstead to plead guilty to the charge of harassing Rosie.
He adjourned sentence so that Rumbelow could be assessed for her medical issues, and granted her bail and made a restraining order that she was not to contact the actress, who lives just outside St Albans.
After the hearing, Rumbelow immediately set about sending the actress spiteful messages including one to her sister which said “your sister is finished. Rosie will get hers soon. Watch this space.”
Judge Plumstead said “This is a disturbed person’s crime, but it can’t be said she is free of blame.”
