Cheryl stalker jailed for restraining order breach

A man who stalked singer Cheryl Tweedy has been jailed for 12 months for breaching a restraining order by turning up at her home.

Daniel Bannister showed up at her house, in the Chalfonts area of Buckinghamshire, for the fourth time on 19 June.

The 50-year-old, who has already spent time in prison for the same offence and an unrelated killing in 2012, was jailed at Reading Crown Court after previously admitting a restraining order breach.

Sentencing him, Judge Alan Blake said the Girls Aloud star "does not wish any contact with you". A victim impact statement from Ms Tweedy said "Daniel has made my young child scared".

Bannister was handed a fresh restraining order to not contact Ms Tweedy.

Judge Blake said: "You have shown defiance to the court order. You need to draw a line under that behaviour."

The court heard that Bannister had arrived at her home for the fourth time on 19 June, arriving in a taxi at about 22:00 BST before ringing the intercom system twice and peering over the gate.

He believed the singer had invited him to her home over Microsoft Teams, the court was told.

In a victim impact statement, the pop star, 42, said she was "stunned" when Bannister visited her home yet again and had been forced to hire personal security.

"Each time he returns the worry of his intentions intensifies," she said.

"I'm worried, nervous and on edge every time I open my gate. No person should have to feel this way."

"Daniel has made my young child scared," she added.

In an unrelated case, Bannister had previously been jailed for killing Rajendra Patel, 48, at a south London YMCA homeless shelter in 2012.

Bannister admitted manslaughter and was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Kingston Crown Court.

In relation to Ms Tweedy, Bannister had been given a restraining order for turning up in January last year and saying, "it's Daniel, I've come to get Cheryl", and then he returned in July asking for a glass of wine.

He was previously handed a four-month jail term for the initial offences.

After showing up again in December, he admitted harassment and the breach and attempted breach of his restraining order, and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison earlier this year.

The December incident took place three weeks after Ms Tweedy attended the funeral of One Direction star Liam Payne, in Amersham in Buckinghamshire.

The singer died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.

The pair had previously had a child together - Bear - but later split up.

Additional reporting by PA Media.