Mayor, 72, convicted of stalking after bombarding barmaid with letters

Mayor, 72, is convicted of stalking after bombarding barmaid with letters professing his undying love... but he was sending them to the wrong woman

 A town's mayor was convicted of stalking yesterday after penning unwanted love letters to a barmaid he'd become infatuated with - but accidentally sending them to the wrong woman.

 Police were left in no doubt who they were from as Graham Roberts, 72, included his business card, confirming him as first citizen of Whitehaven, Cumbria.

 The woman who received the letters took them to the police and Roberts - who describes himself as a lifelong Conservative - was arrested at his home in the town.

 He attended Workington magistrates court in a black pin-stripe suit and white fedora yesterday to admit stalking without causing fear and will be sentenced next month

 Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said a woman attended Whitehaven Police Station with letters she had been receiving to her home address but didn't know who they were from.

 The woman then went back to police on September 12 last year with further letters which were unopened.

 When officers opened the letters they read one which stated that he loved her, that she was his 'soulmate' and there was £40 in cash inside, along with a business card with the name Graham Roberts. 

 Following a police investigation, Roberts was interviewed and accepted that he had been sending letters to a younger woman who he believed worked at a pub in Whitehaven. 

 But the woman who was sent the letters had never worked at the pub, Ms Fee said. 

 She went on to say that Roberts used his position as mayor to get the information for the "intended target" from the electoral roll, but he got the wrong address. In his letter, Roberts stated that he loved the bartender and desired to be with her to "love and protect" her. The court heard he also made comments about things she had worn. 

 The woman who was supposed to get the letters told the police that Roberts frequents the pub and called him "part of the furniture" because he would follow her around and try to talk to her. She said she would speak back in a friendly way but his behaviour 'seemed strange' and was 'very different' when she was alone compared to when she was with her boyfriend or male friends. 

 Ms Fee said Roberts accepted he had sent the letters and obtained the information about where he believed she was living.

 He claimed he was in love with her and made full admissions to his behaviour. 

 According to the prosecution, there was cause for concern for both the intended victim and the woman who received the letters. The woman who received the letters had stopped running at night because she was scared someone was watching her or following her and didn't know where the letters were coming from. 

 Ms. Fee stated that Roberts "used his position" to obtain the information from the electoral roll, adding that there was "some sophistication" in obtaining the address. Mike Woolaghan, defending, said mitigation would be given in full when Roberts is sentenced. 

 He stated that there had been some planning, but it was "not particularly sophisticated," and that a few people had experienced some distress. The case was adjourned to allow Roberts to be assessed for a mental health treatment requirement. 

 On May 6, Roberts, of Whitehaven, will receive a sentence. He was granted bail, with conditions not to contact the two named females, not to go to an address in Whitehaven and not to go to a named pub in Whitehaven.

 Roberts announced that he would be "stepping back" from his position as mayor after the offenses were exposed. In October last year he said: 'I will be stepping back for a short while from my role as chairman and mayor of the council due to health problems.'

 The Cumbrian maritime port, known for its Georgian architecture, still lists Roberts as Mayor on the town council website. Mail Online was informed today by town clerk Marlene Jewell that the Whitehaven Town Council was not making any statement "at this time" regarding his conviction.