Sick stalker ruined 15 years of my life posting sinister and sexual cards and photos through my letterbox

MARILYN HAYTHORNE lived in fear for 15 years – knowing that her every move was being watched.

Terrified Marilyn was receiving anonymous letters sent to her home address with pictures of her face glued to the front.

It was only after setting up a secret CCTV camera that she managed to catch her creepy stalker red-handed, as he posted one of his sinister cards through her letterbox.

Desmond Ould, 65, a former government investigator, had picked Marilyn as his victim after seeing her on the street — and used his old skills to snoop on her life.

The former Department for Works and Pension official uncovered her date of birth and took photographs of her from the back of his specially modified van.

But after Marilyn turned the tables on him — setting up a camera and going online to uncover his identity — Ould was charged.

It led to police discovering Ould had targeted a total of FIVE victims — with his terrifying stalking campaign spanning more than 18 years.

Marilyn, 57, from Sheffield, says: “I think he should have been locked up, I lived in fear for 15 years.

“Ould ruined my life.

“I despise him.

“When the first card arrived through my letterbox I thought it was some kind of sick joke but when I was sent a second I became very anxious.

“The words inside the cards were explicit and sexual.

“One said, ‘I want your breasts to stick into me.’
And another made me feel sick, reading, ‘I want to do sexual things to you — I want to lick you all over, in every part of your body.’

“I spent weeks of sleepless nights wracking my brain trying to work out who was behind it but I couldn’t think of anyone that sick-minded.

“I dreaded every birthday, Valentine’s Day and Christmas as I knew I’d find a filthy card on my doormat.

“I was always looking over my shoulder expecting to see someone with a camera standing close by.”

The first card Marilyn received was on Valentine’s Day in 2000 and dropped through her letterbox in a red envelope.

Inside was a chilling homemade card.

Unemployed Marilyn says: “A picture of my face had been glued on to Barbie’s body and inside he’d written sexual comments about what he wanted to do to me.

“I was shaking as I read the words.

“I took the card to the police but, because I had no idea who had sent it, they couldn’t do anything.

“I saved it just in case and tried to put it to the back of my mind.”

But three months later, another card arrived on Marilyn’s birthday.

Marilyn says: “The second card arrived and the words inside made my skin crawl.

“It was revolting. Just like the first card, my photo was on the front.

“Inside he wrote disgusting things he wanted to do to me.

“It was terrifying, I couldn’t stop thinking about being followed.

“He’d always caught me looking away from the camera so I couldn’t place where they had been taken.

“I kept going to police but they still couldn’t help.”

The sick trend continued for 15 years, with each card getting more terrifying.

Between 2000 and 2015 Marilyn received 45 cards, each with pictures of her glued on the front.

Marilyn says: “Every time a new card arrived, my partner Andy Hatton and I put it in a bag at the bottom of my wardrobe.

“We even started wearing latex gloves and used a bread knife to open the envelopes in case there were fingerprints.

“I hoped the police might be able to do something eventually if I kept the evidence.

“Then a card arrived with a headstone on the front.

“My face was stuck on top.

“This card was so sinister, I was shaking when I read it.

“I was so frightened whoever was responsible would take things a step further and kill me.

“I started having panic attacks and was prescribed medication to help me deal with it.”

In February 2015 Marilyn and printer Andy, 49, set up a CCTV camera overlooking the front door.

A week later, as Ould crept across their drive to deliver his sinister Valentine’s Card in the early hours of the morning, they snared him.

Marilyn says: “I never thought it would work, I was convinced he’d be wearing a balaclava so when Andy woke me to tell me we had caught him, I was gobsmacked.

“I felt nervous and excited as Andy played the video because, after 15 years, I was going to see the face of my stalker.

“The camera showed him walking down our driveway towards the front door with an envelope, then he went away empty-handed.”

Before taking the evidence to the police, Marilyn wanted to find out the man’s identity.

She says: “I’d never seen this man before so I had to make sure I knew his name before I took the footage to the police.

“I posted the video on Facebook and asked if anyone recognised him.

“It was shared dozens of times and an hour later I had his name.

“I was horrified to find out he lived just a few streets away from me.

“I was told he drove a white van so I made a note of the registration plate and looked out for it.

“We had to be certain we had the right man.”

Two months later, Marilyn spotted Ould pulling into a supermarket car park — and confronted him.

She says: “My legs were shaking as I walked towards the van.

“He got out and when he saw me, the colour drained from his face.

“I asked him about the cards but he said he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“He had ‘guilty’ written all over his face so I rushed into the supermarket and called Andy, who told me to call the police.”

Ould was arrested and, six months later, at Sheffield Crown Court, he admitted two offences of stalking between 2012 and 2015.

The court heard how he had targeted five women over a period of 18 years, taking pictures of them through an adapted air vent in the rear doors of his van.

Ould, from Sheffield, was sentenced to an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, also getting a restraining order and a criminal behaviour order.

Marilyn says: “Andy and I went to every court hearing but he didn’t show an ounce of remorse.

“He smirked when he saw me.

“I’m still on edge around my birthday, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, while he’s allowed to roam the streets so I’m never completely safe.

“But I refuse to dwell on what he did and let it ruin my life for any longer.”