Married Man convicted of Stalking Tennis Star Emma Raducanu
Amrit Magar, aged 35, of Harrow, London, was convicted of stalking British tennis player Emma Raducanu.
Bromley Magistrates Court heard that he visited the 19-year-old’s family home on three separate occasions, loitered outside, left unwanted gifts and stole property from the porch.
Former Amazon delivery driver Magar had become obsessed with Miss Raducanu after watching her matches.
He had targeted the US Open champion while he was unemployed.
Nepali-origin Magar travelled to Bromley where the tennis player lives with her parents, Ian and Renee, and asked strangers for directions to her home.
In November 2021, he turned up at her home with flowers and a note signed by him, with his wife’s name, Bina, and their dog’s name, Logan, also written at the bottom.
The note read: “Nothing to say, but you deserve love.”
Magar was confronted by her parents but claimed he was delivering gifts sent by someone else.
In December, he posted a red envelope with a hand-drawn map of his journey on foot from Edgeware.
Next to the map was written: “23 miles walked for you!”
On December 4, Magar decorated a tree in Miss Raducanu’s front garden with Christmas lights.
He then stole a trainer from the porch, believing it belonged to Emma Raducanu. He later told police he wanted a “souvenir”.
But it belonged to her father who recognised Magar from doorbell camera footage.
He followed Magar to his car while informing the police. Magar was subsequently arrested.
Magar was convicted of stalking Emma Raducanu between November 1 and December 4, 2021.
Speaking to officers over the phone in January 2022 while she was in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, Miss Raducanu had said:
“Since all this has happened, I have felt creeped out. I feel very apprehensive if I go out, especially if I am on my own.
“Because of this, I feel like my freedom has been taken away from me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder.
“I feel on edge and worried this could happen again.
“I don’t feel safe in my own home which is where I should feel safest.”
The teenager also said she was stressed by the prospect of the public finding out she had a stalker.
She added: “I want to move to a new house with better security because I am worried he might come back as he knows where my home is.”
Her father Ian said he is “very worried about his daughter’s safety and security and concerned the man may want revenge” because he called the police.
He added that the incident highlighted “how exposed they are as a family and how easy it is to find where she lives”.
Seval Dunn, defending, said: “He appears to me to be a fairly mild-mannered man.
“He has assured me nothing of this nature will ever happen again. He assured me he did not wish for Miss Raducanu to suffer in the way she describes suffering.”
District Judge Sushil Kumar told Magar:
There was some degree of planning, not least shown by the fact you walked 23 miles to attend Miss Raducanu’s address.
“Upon hearing the victim personal statements of Miss Raducanu and her family, it is very much apparent changes to their lifestyle have been contemplated and are currently in train, not least the acquisition of security, potentially, and also moving house.”
Magar was sentenced to an 18-month community order, which requires him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and follow an eight-week curfew between 9 pm and 6 am. This will be monitored by an electronic tag.
He must pay £500 in costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
Magar received a five-year restraining order, banning from contacting Emma Raducanu and her parents. It also bans him from coming within a mile of their street or attending any sports ground, stadium, or training facility, she is attending.