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Eight-year stalking hell continues for Canterbury teacher

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 09:44, 22 April 2011

A disturbed woman who terrorised her ex-teacher for eight years was back in court this week.

It took Sarah Durling just 10 days to breach a restraining order banning her from contacting Alison Skinner.

A court slapped the order on the 24-year-old last month after she admitted a campaign of harassment against Miss Skinner, who she befriended while a pupil at Canterbury’s Orchard School.

During the frightening ordeal she bombarded Miss Skinner with letters, phone calls and text messages, saying she wanted to be her daughter and even pretending a baby had died to make contact.

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But within days of being sentenced on March 3 Durling, of Fallowfield, Sittingbourne, was leaving voicemails at Miss Skinner’s workplace - Connexions in Dover Street, Canterbury.

In the first of two on March 13 she said: “There’s no point getting me sentenced because where I’ll be no cop will find me. You promised me you’d never turn your back on me Ali.”

She was arrested on March 16 and admitted making the calls, saying she knew she would get in trouble but did it anyway.

She was bailed to appear in court, but little more than a week later continued the harassment.

She sent a string of text messages to Connexions signed with the name Shane O’Brien - a man she had pretended was her boyfriend.

One text even claimed to be from Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, asking staff to meet Durling.

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In another she said calling the police would not stop her contacting Miss Skinner.

She was arrested on April 4 and admitted she had sent all the messages and a letter.

The Eastenders fanatic, who suffers with Asperger's Syndrome and learning difficulties, said she knew she had a restraining order but ignored it because she wanted to.

She appeared before Canterbury magistrates on Thursday and admitted the harassment.

Her solicitor Scott Nielson said: “She thought she (Miss Skinner) would be her friend for life and she’s never been able to get over that thought.

“The nature of the harassment wasn’t threatening or sinister. It was just relentless and unwanted.

“This has all the hallmarks of something that isn’t going to stop without some kind of intervention.”

Magistrate’s agreed with a defence request to adjourn sentencing for psychiatric reports.

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