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A gym worker was stalked by a "strange" man covered in war paint who called her "babe", gave her gifts and urinated on her car.

Stalker Joshua Twigg, 28, gave her several presents before letting himself in her car and spitting in the glove box.

The Midlands man stalked his victim during a crime spree last year.

He also burgled a house, carried out two thefts and held a knife to his throat after telling restaurant staff he had been to Saturn for nine years.

Now Twigg, who has a mental disorder, has been sentenced to a hospital order at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Richard McConaghy said Twigg stalked a woman who worked at a Tunstall fitness club between March 21 and April 11 last year and caused criminal damage to her car on April 10.

Mr McConaghy said: “He signed up at the gym on March 29 and she dealt with the registration. She thought he was strange.

"He began to make trips to see her. On the first occasion he had war paint around his eyes and gave her a hair bobble. He returned later that day and left six heavy rock CDs. He returned for a third time. He had more war paint on his face and brought a bottle of perfume.

“He was over-familiar calling her babe and gorgeous.”

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On April 10 the woman could see her car headlights were on and assumed it was her partner, reports StokeonTrentLive.

Mr McConaghy said: “As she approached she saw the defendant was sat in it. There was urine on the outside and a puddle of saliva inside the glove box.”

The curt heard the defendant’s crime spree began on March 11 last year when he walked into a residential garden and took items worth £300 from a caravan causing £50 damage to a window.

In his police interview Twigg said he had ‘piped dust all day’ and had been unable to get into his home so he went to the caravan to sleep.

On March 21 the defendant went to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen at The Hive, Hanley, and as he placed his order he told staff he had been to Saturn for nine years. When the order arrived he claimed he had already paid for it.

Mr McConaghy said: “He was told he had not paid for it. He said, ‘Well stick that then’. He returned to the table, took a steak knife and headed for the door. Staff followed him outside and asked for the cutlery back. He held the knife to his own throat for a number of seconds.”

But Twigg dropped the weapon when he saw a student social worker who knew him.

The defendant went on to burgle a house in Jefferson Street, Tunstall, on March 29 when he stole a Macbook laptop, an air rifle, tracksuit bottoms and paperwork.

He was arrested soon after the break-in and was wearing the tracksuit bottoms and had the laptop with him. The air rifle was found inside his home.

The defendant also stole items from Matalan, Tunstall on April 9.

Twigg, of Athelston Street, Tunstall, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, two offences of criminal damage, possession of a knife in public, burglary, and stalking.

Judge Paul Glenn heard medical evidence before sentencing Twigg to a hospital order with a section 41 restriction order to protect the public.

He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order which prevents him having any contact with the woman he stalked.

Judge Glenn told Twigg: “You have a long history of drug abuse.

“I am satisfied from medical evidence that you are suffering from a mental disorder. Your offending is in significant part attributable to that disorder. It is exacerbated by the use of drugs.

“The risk of you committing further offences if at large make it necessary for the protection of the public from serious harm to make a section 41 restriction order.”