MYSTERY STALKER WHO THREATENED TO KILL ME AND TOLD THE POLICE I’D MURDERED MY KIDS TURNED OUT TO BE MY CHEATING EX

Megan Brailsford, 32, from Cambridgeshire, met Daniel Dugdale, 29, in September 2020. After a year, Dugale started spending all of his time at the pub. Then, Megan discovered he’d been cheating. Dugdale’s behaviour worsened and in December 2022, Megan ended things. But then she started receiving anonymous messages from strangers on Facebook, and taxis turned up at her home in the middle of the night. Dugdale claimed the same was happening to him and said he'd report it. Police then visited Megan most nights, with false reports that she’d stabbed a man and killed her kids. Meanwhile, she was receiving hundreds of messages and calls per day, with some threatening to rape and murder her. When the abuse continued to escalate, Megan contacted the police and discovered Dugdale hadn’t opened a case. In the following weeks, social services contacted her, with reports that she was a prostitute, and her friends called, saying they’d been told she’d died. In March 2023, after analysing his phone, police discovered Dugdale was behind everything. In April 2024, he was convicted of two counts of stalking involving fear or violence and perverting the course of justice. He was jailed for three years and nine months at Cambridge Crown Court.

Other great stories
FROG FRIENDS

PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .

SQUIRRELS SQUABBLE OVER LUNCH

SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .

PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES UNIQUE PATTERNS OF THE HUMAN EYE

A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .

ADORABLE CHRISTMAS BABIES

WEARING tiny Christmas accessories, these adorable babies get into the spirit of the season .

ANGRY GIRAFFE DESTROYS BIKE

AN ANGRY giraffe gave a bush-riding cyclist a scare when he stomped his £2K bike into the dirt .

MAGNIFICENT SNOWY OWL

An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .

A GRIZZLY GANG

PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .

UNUSUAL ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP

SAT ON top of a Brazilian turtle’s head, this little ladybird looks content as he studies his environment from a new height .

AIR OF THE DOG: HILARIOUS FLYING POOCHES

FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .

BOOM SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE THE ROOM

WELCOME to the 125 decibel boombox bus that could damage your hearing if you party too close to its giant speakers .

REAL-LIFE SHIPWRECKED EXPERIENCE

THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .