He mentioned her name 50 times during a meeting to discuss his behaviour
David Allen appeared at Hull Crown Court charged with harassment(Image: Hull Live)
An “obsessed” and relentless pest caused a woman serious worry and distress after he “developed a fixation” with her and told people that they were going to get married. David Allen accused her of giving him the drug ketamine “in an attempt to murder him” and she feared that he was capable of causing her harm.
He spent nine months in custody on remand but he now wanted to put the unpleasant episode behind him and stay off drugs, Hull Crown Court heard. Allen, 48, of Poplar Grove, Hull, admitted an offence of harassment against the woman between February 25 and December 13, 2024.
Samantha Laws, prosecuting, said that Allen was a resident at a Hull hostel when he first met the woman in September 2023. “They would see each other and chat,” said Miss Laws.
Allen “developed a fixation” with the woman and he made inappropriate remarks to her as well as claiming that they were in a relationship and were due to be married. Allen joked to her about kidnapping her and accused her of stealing photographs from him and giving him ketamine in an attempt to murder him. He left the hostel but did not stop his behaviour.
In June 2024, he told people in another hostel that he was in a relationship with the woman and that he was going to come and get her because she was not safe. He went to the other hostel and asked where she was.
He claimed that the woman was his wife and that they were back together. He claimed that they were supposed to get married and that he needed to talk to her about a wedding. Allen was “obsessed with her” and he mentioned her name 50 times during a meeting to discuss his behaviour.
He claimed that she “would end up dead”. He was remanded in custody between July 3 last year and May 18 this year before being allowed bail.
The woman said that, at times, she did feel that Allen wanted to cause her harm. He had made accusations against her and she believed that he could “act out” things against her.
Allen had convictions for 58 previous offences dating back to before 2000. He was jailed in 2024 for 28 days for criminal damage and he was also jailed in 2020.
David Godfrey, mitigating, said that Allen had previously been of no fixed address but now had a home. “He is not using drugs,” said Mr Godfrey. “Since May, he has done well.” A community order would help him continue his progress.
Allen was given 15 days’ rehabilitation and a five-year restraining order, banning him from contacting the woman and from going to her workplace. He must pay a £114 victims’ surcharge.
Allen told the court: “I have got nothing to do with her no more.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here.