Man admits harassment campaign against neighbours, solicitor, and police officer

A man from Heanor has admitted waging a sustained campaign of harassment against his neighbours, a police officer, and a solicitor.

Robert Hawk, who is from Marpool, appeared at Derby Crown Court on 14 December and pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment (one against his neighbours and one a Derbyshire police officer), witness intimidation, and threats to kill his solicitor.

In April 2019, the 53-year-old, of Claramount Road, made a report to Action Fraud claiming that his neighbours had hacked his computer. Cyber Investigator, Sergeant Colin Smith attended Hawk’s home and examined his computer, concluding that it hadn’t been hacked but that the browser he was using to access the internet wasn’t compatible with a certain website.

In the following six months, Hawk made several further reports to Action Fraud, about suspicious emails, fake internet accounts being created, fraudulent bank transactions and social media account compromises. He also began making repeated aggressive phone calls to police via the switchboard and directly to officers. He sent abusive text messages and emails directly to Sergeant Smith and used social media to make false allegations about his professional conduct.

Hawk was arrested for wasting police time in October 2019, when Sergeant Smith found that the IP address used in the alleged social media account compromise was Hawk’s own.

The Action Fraud reports had been just one part of a continued campaign of harassment by Hawk against his neighbours. In July 2019, it was reported that he had left chicken bones and newspaper covered with faeces, in the grounds of his neighbours’ property. He had also regularly caused a nuisance by shouting in the street and honking his car horn. In addition, he claimed he was suing his neighbours and that they owed him large sums of money and threatened to damage their property. Hawk was interviewed about this incident and cautioned.

At his plea hearing he admitted sending a text message to the solicitor who had represented him at that interview threatening to harm and kill him.

He was summonsed to court on charges of harassment and threats to kill on 3 August 2020 and later arrested, charged and remanded for witness intimidation on 5 August 2021.

He has been remanded into prison custody and is due to be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on 2 February 2022.