Stalker lied about age and pretended to be police to get phone number

Jason Hubberstey, 52, a married man, repeatedly lied to the woman during their two-year relationship, and claimed to be nearly 20 years younger than his actual age.

When his ‘tortured’ victim, from Workington, blocked him and changed her phone number, the defendant contacted her father, pretending to be police to get her number.

He was jailed for 14 weeks at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday after pleading guilty to stalking.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Pamela Fee said the victim had been in a relationship with Hubberstey since the beginning of 2021. She ended the relationship at the beginning of 2023 because the defendant had been ‘lying about things’.

A few months later, they rekindled their relationship but the victim found out he had been lying about his age and Hubberstey was nearly 20 years older than he had been making out.

The victim then found out that Hubberstey had a wife. The relationship ended and the victim received a letter from Hubberstey, saying he would end his own life.

She then received an email from someone on June 12, claiming to be Hubberstey’s mother, saying he was in an induced coma.

Huberstey then sent a photo to his victim from a hospital bed and a view from a hospital window. The victim later discovered it was an image from Google.

During a video call with Hubberstey, the victim saw he was wearing a wedding ring and she ended the relationship again.

She got back with him and had then received an email saying he had drunk too much and had been taken into hospital.

He repeatedly messaged her on Snapchat. She blocked Hubberstey and changed her mobile phone number.

The victim’s father then received contact claiming to be a police officer, asking for her number.

Hubberstey emailed the victim’s employer, making false allegations that she was a danger to children and had assaulted them previously.

He sent 6p to the victim via Paypal and when she sent the money back, he sent £15 to her with a message saying, ‘sexy’.

Hubberstey posted a suicide letter through her door and left presents at her address. 

The defendant was arrested and released on bail not to enter Cumbria or to have any contact with the victim. On September 17, he made comments on a website the victim posts on.

Hubberstey was interviewed by police. He said he had been emailing the victim. He said he had ‘made up’ an email address to message her.

He was asked about messages he had sent to the victim’s father and accepted he had made comments but couldn’t remember saying he was police.

When asked about the emails he sent to the victim’s employer, he said the reason for sending them was ‘just to get a response’.

He said the victim had tried to commit suicide four times and he thought if he did the same thing, he would get the same response from her.

Ms Fee said there had been a ‘high degree of planning’ over a prolonged period and the offending had caused distress and psychological harm.

Victim impact statement

The victim addressed the court to read a moving victim personal statement. She said: “I suffer from anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD.

“Honesty and trust are the foundations to build a relationship. Jason said he loved me and wanted to make a life together.

“The lies started. Jason reassured me I was just overthinking. I didn’t want to believe that he was lying to me.

“He told me he was 35 when he was 52. He lied about being married and being in hospital.

“When you love someone, you don’t do anything to hurt someone. You protect them.

“He contacted my work and accused me of disgusting things. I have dedicated my life to looking after children and others.

“To have lies made up about me – these lies made up about me to ruin my life, that would have got me sacked. The worry of losing everything I have worked hard for since leaving school.

“I had to leave my job from being traumatised.”

The victim said Hubberstey made her doubt her gut instincts and used money to entice her back to him to realise her dreams of becoming a mother by having IVF.

She said: “I isolated myself from my family and friends. Jason would be the only one I would talk to at times.

“He threatened to tell my parents about things. His threats drove me to try and take my life three times. Jason made me believe taking my own life was the best option.

“I have lost my livelihood.

“Jason was a man I thought would be my life partner. Jason has caused my anxiety and depression to get worse.

“He pretended to be a police officer to get my new number so he could torture me more. He’s doing all this while professing his undying love.

“Whatever sentence is read will not be good enough for the parts of my life I have lost. I want to be left alone to live my life in peace. I hope justice is served.”

'A man of good character'

Mike Woolaghan, defending, said: “It’s always difficult when you hear such an emotional victim personal statement. I don’t want to diminish the honesty of the emotions being expressed.

“The criminality he faces just dates from October 2023. What’s evident is that prior to that date, there was a long relationship between the parties, built on lies that are reprehensible but don’t form part of the criminality.

“You are dealing with a man of good character who has developed another relationship. There are issues around his thinking and relationships.

“There is a strong willingness on his part and his wife’s to draw a line under the relationship.

“He deserves maximum credit for his early guilty plea.”

Jailed

Passing sentence, Mark Gear, chair of the magistrates panel, said it was an ‘extremely unpleasant’ case and noted the victim’s distress and vulnerability and the impact the offending had on her family.

Hubberstey, of East Street, Farington, Leyland, Lancashire, was jailed for 14 weeks.

He was given a five-year restraining order which bans him from contacting the victim by any means or going to Workington.