Stalker banned from contacting presenter Rav Wilding

A woman who bombarded Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding with abusive internet messages has been banned from contacting him.

Toneeta Beckford, aged 24, was found guilty last month of harassment after sending dozens of obscene messages and lewd photographs through Facebook and Twitter to the former policeman.

Magistrates at Warley yesterday gave Beckford a 20-week jail sentence which was suspended for 18 months and imposed a restraining order.

She was also banned from contacting Mr Wilding directly or indirectly by email, Twitter, Facebook or any other communication or messaging system.

She was told if she breached the order she could be jailed for up to five years.

Magistrates were told Beckford, of New Hope Road in Smethwick, had briefly become a Muslim and sent references to Allah and "judgement day" in her messages, including one which stated he would be "begging Allah for mercy".

Many of the emails and posts contained insults and four-letter tirades, as well as bizarre rants including: "I hope you bite your tongue eating jelly babies".

The court heard Beckford also told him he had wrinkles, was too old to celebrate his birthday and would never win Strictly Come Dancing.

During the trial last month, the 32-year-old former detective constable, who was third to be eliminated in the dancing series last year, told the court Beckford had sent him a message saying she hoped he broke his leg on the show.

Yesterday, Mr Paul Selby, defending, said: "It would appear at the time these messages were left Miss Beckford was going through a very difficult period."

Sentencing Beckford, who was also given 18 months supervision and ordered to pay costs of £500, presiding magistrate Mr Derek Bolton, told her: "We find the offence so serious that custody is the only suitable sentence because the offence was pre-planned and there were numerous offensive, discriminatory and threatening messages."

By Lisa Wright