Stalker who made his victim so scared she had to hide in the bathroom of her Sevenoaks home is jailed

A stalker, who terrified his victim to the point she had to hide in the bathroom on one occasion when he walked around her home near Sevenoaks, has been jailed.

Maris Subbotins, (pictured) aged 44, entered the woman’s home on Saturday 25 April 2020 after she refused to let him in the house. She ran to the bathroom, hid and called Kent Police.

The victim described being terrified after hearing the floorboards creaking as he walked around her home.

This was the third occasion the woman had spotted Subbotins after seeing him twice on previous occasions loitering in her garden. She reported a previous incident on 22 April after she saw Subbotins standing in her back garden watching her at her window.

She told police how he looked like he was gesturing to her to go to the front of the house and let him in. He then walked round to the front of the house and started banging on the door. She couldn’t understand what he was saying or what he wanted and had no idea who he was.

Then on 25 April she called police at around 9am when he turned up at her house again. This time she was in the kitchen, which overlooks the garden, when she noticed the bushes were rustling and then saw him emerge with his hands in the air walking towards the house.

Police officers went to the house but Subbotins had already left and despite a search of the vicinity they were unable to locate him.

At around 3pm the same day he was seen for a third time at the victim’s property. On this occasion he managed to get in the house and the victim, in fear of her safety, locked herself in her bathroom until the police were at the scene.

Again, Subbotins had already left when the police arrived and it was noted that nothing had been taken during the incident but the front door had been damaged and the house phone had been taken off its receiver in the front room.

Patrols searched the area and found Subbotins at a bus stop just a short distance from the house. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Following a full review of the circumstances of all three incidents, Subbotins, of no fixed address, was charged with stalking. He admitted to the offence and was jailed for two years at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday 1 September 2020.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Shelley Rainer, said: “This was an utterly terrifying ordeal for the victim in this case. Thankfully she was able to give us a very good description of Subbotins, which meant we could locate him quickly.

“We understand the long term effects that behaviour such as this can have on victims and we will do everything within our power to bring offenders to justice.”