Stalker who sent Fern Britton flowers and rented her holiday cottage avoids jail after leaving star ‘disturbed & scared’
A STALKER who left Fern Britton “disturbed and scared” when he sent her flowers and rented her holiday home has avoided jailed.
James Haviland, 63, subjected the star to a “prolonged” two-year campaign of harassment.
He travelled more than 200 miles from his home in Basingstoke to Cornwall to be close to Fern and rented out her holiday cottage.
Haviland also bombarded the former This Morning presenter with cards and flowers during the ordeal.
He has now avoided jail after he admitted stalking without fear, alarm or distress.
Haivland was instead handed a ten year restraining order and told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Celebrity Big Brother star Fern, 66, was said to have been left “disturbed and scared” by the ordeal.
The court was told Haviland stalked the TV personality between November 20, 2021 and September 16, 2023.
He stayed in the same village she lived in on three different occasions over a nine-month period.
Haviland also sent “unwanted” flowers three times – twice with a card – and made an unfinished further order for flowers in June 2022.
The stalker spent a week renting Fern’s home but was caught when he attempted to book in again for another week in November.
Sentencing, District Judge Stephen Apted said he had caused the presenter “distress and anxiety” by his “prolonged campaign” of stalking.
Fern moved to Cornwall from Buckinghamshire in 2020 after splitting from husband Phil Vickery.
She appeared in two series of Channel 5 show My Cornwall and regularly shares her idyllic rural lifestyle on social media.