Hackney woman stalked by volunteer policeman slams cops

Stalker David Hoar. Pic credit: Kevin Dunnett, Central News. Central News

A woman whose life was ruined by a stalker who worked as a volunteer policeman has slammed the Met for “ignoring” her five-year ordeal - and she said she only found out her tormentor had appeared at court when she read about it in last week’s Gazette.

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The 41-year-old victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, was stalked by David Hoar, of Smalley Close, Stoke Newington.

Prosecutors told Snaresbrook Crown Court that Hoar, who had previously been convicted of harassing the woman, scoured police databases for information about the Hackney woman.

It had been incorrectly claimed in court Hoar was a Police Community Support Officer but in fact he was a Special Constable.

The victim is furious Hoar was able to gain access to police information, and has demanded to know how vetting procedures failed to prevent the abuse of the system.

The mum-of-two, who was initially unaware Hoar had joined the Special Constabulary in Tower Hamlets, moved house in an attempt to evade him.

She said she repeatedly called Hackney police about her stalker, but believes he simply accessed her complaints to find out her new contact details.

"Hoar just walked into my life and ruined it," his victim said. "He'd hang around outside my house and job, and told people we were together - even though I've been with my partner for years.

"I moved, changed jobs and stopped going out with my friends.

"I'm on antidepressants, I'm not sleeping and I'm suffering from anxiety."

She said she first met Hoar was when he turned up on her doorstep one day claiming he'd known her at primary school, although she has no recollection of him back then.

Hoar, 41, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act and was due to be sentenced on August 29, but the judge wanted him to undergo a mental health assessment at a hospital first.

"I asked for help but was ignored - he asked for help and he's being assessed at a hospital," his victim said.

The woman expected to be called as a witness in the trial, but was livid to find out it had already taken place when she read last week's paper.

"I saw red," she told the Gazette. "The police should have told me when he'd be appearing, at least. I'll never put my faith in the police again."

She also slammed the force for taking so long to find out Hoar was one of their own, and said: "I became aware he was using police ID to get into events where I was. I thought he'd got it off the internet and reported him for impersonating a police officer. But one of my friends saw it and said 'I think it's real'.

"I told the police, but they kept ignoring me.

"It took them five months to realise he did actually work for them.

"When they told me I put the phone down and burst into tears - because he'd made me feel as though I was going mad."

The woman said she'd wanted to attend the trial for "closure" and to tell the court what Hoar had put her through.

She is thinking about bringing a civil case against the police, she added.

A Hackney police spokesman said: "After establishing whom the suspect was, Hoar was issued with a harassment warning on September 10, 2010, by an officer at Hackney.

"The Directorate of Professional Standards - the Met's internal complaints and anti-corruption department - and Hoar's supervisor at Tower Hamlets were informed of the outcome."

Hoar ceased to be a special constable in October 2010.

A Tower Hamlets police spokesman was unable to respond to the Gazette's request for a comment before our deadline.

Hackney Gazette In the Hackney Gazette we reported on court proceedings involving Mr David Hoar of Smalley Close, Stoke Newington. Mr Hoar, a former Special constable, was convicted in July 2012 of one count of harassment, and we reported his victim's claims that Mr Hoar 'loitered outside her [place of] work' and 'turned up at events' which she was attending. These allegations were not proven and did not, therefore, form part of Mr Hoar's conviction. Mr Hoar is subject to an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly, including via the use of social media.