Former Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts has opened up about her experiences with her obsessed ex boyfriend, claiming she’s to scared to even take her dogs for a walk.
The singer has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after they dropped stalking charges against her former soldier ex, Carl Davies.
Read more: Piers Morgan apologises to Cheryl over Liam split slur
Carl was hit with a lifetime restraining order – complete with a ban from Nicola’s social media profiles – last year, but ignored it – following the singer’s Instagram account within weeks.
But the CPS decided against pursuing a trail against’ Carl and, at a hearing in March, chose to present no evidence.
Nicola claims they found the case “trivial” as much of it centred on online harassment.
Speaking to the Times, Nicola opened up about how traumatised the experience had left her.
“When somebody sends a message saying, ‘Those are nice pyjamas’, you think… is he able to see into my house?” she said.
“You are too scared to take the dogs out for a walk because when someone plants vicious seeds you just imagine every possible outcome.”
Nicola and Carl dated for 18 months, and split in 2008 – but after a few years had passed he begain bombarding her with online messages.
The messages – which persisted for five years – included threats to stab and burn the singer.
Nicola claimed that the stalking had left her unable to properly move on from her relationship, even a decade after it ended.
Don’t miss out: Three steps to ensure you see all ED!’s latest news on Facebook
She stressed that while her particular case is valid in its own right, it’s also an opportunity to talk about the wider problem of stalking and domestic abuse – stressing that people should be taught to recognise the red flags of controlling relationships.
“It is about exposing those characteristics — somebody being controlling, manipulative, abusive, violent,” she said.
While the CPS’s decision not to pursue charges means that the case against Carl is effectively over, they have since released a statement expressing regret at their actions.
The statement read: “I have concluded that the decision to offer no evidence in this case was wrong. I am satisfied there was a realistic prospect of convicting Carl Davies for breaching the restraining order.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of stalking, you can get help from the National Stalking Helpline.