A self-styled ‘lord’ waged a campaign of intimidation against a former partner after she ended the relationship, a court has heard.
Peter Sorrell, 65, allegedly threw items including rocks and eggs at the Julie Metcalfe’s home when their four-year affair ended.
He is also said to have daubed words such as ‘slapper’, and ‘sex for sale’ on her house during late night raids.
Jurors were told ‘bizarre’ letters and messages were sent to the woman, under the names of other people including the defendant’s ex-wife, describing how she was causing ‘suffering’ to a ‘good man’.
Others threatened her, the prosecution says, with comments including ‘bitch is going to burn’.
Details of the alleged stalking have been heard at Norwich Crown Court in Norfolk, where the defendant has been turning up clutching a copy of the Magna Carta and insisted on being referred to as Lord Peter Sorrelll (sic).
Father-of-three Sorrell, a retired lorry driver who lives in a modest two-bedroom newbuild house in Bradwell, and Ms Metcatle, 64, went out between 2014 and 2018, the prosecution say.
But when she told him the relationship was over he couldn’t ‘accept’ the break-up and ‘begged her to take him back’.
Peter Sorrell, 65, is accused of stalking his ex and breaching a non-molestation order by turning up near her house
When this failed, he started on the course of action that led to his alleged victim to ‘fear violence would be used against her’.
Sorrell denies putting a person in fear of violence by stalking between December 22, 2019 and November 19, 2020.
He has also pleaded not guilty to four breaches of a non-molestation order made by the Family Court in November 2019. The breaches occurred between March and November 2020, jurors heard.
Prosecutor John Fairhead said that other items thrown at Ms Metcalfe’s house in Great Yarmouth included bricks and paint.
Paint was also used to write the graffiti on the front and back of her home including ‘whore’ and ‘RIP, RIP’.
Mr Fairhead added the defendant ‘sent her a number of letters’, some handwritten and others on Facebook, claiming to be from his ex-wife, friends and well-wishers.
These were ‘lengthy, rambling and, the Crown would say, frankly bizarre’ as they outlined how he was a ‘good man’.
‘But apart from this frankly blatant emotional blackmail, the letters became increasingly abusive and menacing,’ the prosecutor said.
Sorrell claimed he had not sent letters and messages to his former partner, Julie Metcalfe
They included a Valentine’s card with the message: ‘Happy Valentine’s Day you black widow… when I play games, I play to the end.’
Messages from the Facebook accounts of several women were also actually composed by the defendant, the court heard.
These had comments such as ‘you stupid bitch’, ‘you killed him, you’re responsible’ and ‘bitch is going to burn’.
One warned that Sorrell would ‘not see this year out if he doesn’t stop hurting himself’.
The Crown claims the defendant was also seen ‘wearing a wig to disguise himself’ during late night visits to Ms Metcalfe’s home.
Giving evidence from behind a screen, she said the messages had become ‘more and more threatening and aggressive’.
‘I began to worry for my life. It made me feel scared to be in my own home,’ she told the jury.
‘My home was my safe place. It was my daughter’s safe place. But it made me realise it was no longer a place I could feel safe.’
The defendant, a retired lorry driver, had been arriving in court with a copy of the Magna Carta
The mother-of-three also claimed Sorrell had been sending gifts and ‘turning up at my neighbour’s door asking to send me gifts’ because he ‘refused to accept’ they were no longer together.
Referring to the letters, she said she recognised the handwriting and said of the comments they contained: ‘It’s a pattern he had been following for about a year-and-a-half.
‘He’s been trying to portray himself as a good guy and a victim in this.’
Finding the words ‘RIP, RIP’ scrawled on her house had ‘made me fear eventually he would kill me’.
Ms Metcalfe added: ‘It came to the point [where] I didn’t want to leave the house because I didn’t know what was going to happen.’
Sorrell, who is representing himself in court, tried to ‘paint himself as the victim’ when he was arrested and allegedly blamed his former wife for the graffiti, it is said.
He was initially released without charge but was later arrested for breaching the non-molestation order by being within 50m of his victim’s home, the court heard.
He had gone to a launderette that was 36m from the house, claiming it was the only one open in the area at the time.
Short, grey-haired Sorrell, who has missing teeth, wore a smart suit in court with a blue shirt and tie. He was not in the dock as he was representing himself.
At times, while addressing a witness, he threw down his pen in apparent frustration.
He also referred to the Magna Carta, leading to Judge Anthony Bate to tell him: ‘This is not an opportunity for speeches from ancient documents.’
Sorrell also claimed at one point that ‘legislation has no place in this court… this is a court on the law of the land’.
Judge Bate said: ‘This is my courtroom. I will prevail in this courtroom. My authority comes from legislation. Let’s move on.’
The defendant examined prosecution witness PC Natalie Smith and questioned why she had not worn a bodycam when he was arrested.
She explained the requirement to use the equipment did not come into use until several years after he was detained.
Sorrell also referred to himself in the third person to claim his ex-wife, Rachel, had committed ‘domestic violence and abuse against Mr Sorrell’.
He asked the officer: ‘Why did you refuse to help Mr Sorrell? Do you hate men or something?’
The judge told her: ‘You do not need to answer that.’
The court heard that in one police interview, the defendant complained: ‘My life has been completely destroyed already. I do not give a toss if I live or die.
‘Your officers are all aware of how I feel at the moment. The police are fully aware that I have been hacked many times.’
Cross-examined by Mr Fairhead, he was asked: ‘How would you like to be called? Lord Sorrelll?’
He replied: ‘I have been advised to be sociable, so call me Peter.’
Sorrell told the prosecutor he had not sent letters and messages to Ms Metcalfe.
Asked about one incident where she received a letter warning that broken glass on her tarmac roof could cause a fire, he again denied any involvement.
‘I do not think it was Rachel. I know it was Rachel,’ he said.
Mr Fairhead told the jury the defendant had ‘pursued a course of conduct’ that caused his victim to ‘fear violence would be used against her’.
He added: ‘The Crown say all the evidence points to one person – the defendant, “Lord Peter Sorrell”.’
The Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215, was a landmark document in English democracy that established that no one is above the law.
The trial continues.
