Stalker jailed 26 weeks for harassing BBC DJ Gilles Peterson

Rook was jailed for 26 weeks for stalking and racially aggravated harassment

A stalker who bombarded BBC DJ Gilles Peterson with death threats and racially abused his Japanese wife before scaling scaffolding at his house was jailed for 26 weeks.

Sarah Jayne Rook, 44, repeatedly called Mr Peterson's wife Atsuko Moehrle a 'Hiroshima b***h' when she refused to open the door to her at the couple's north London home on 18 February.

Rook screamed 'You will die' at Mr Peterson, 55, as he left BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place, central London on 21 March.

Two days later Rook stood outside the record label owner's north London home shouting 'c**t', 'rapist,' and 'paedophile,' Stratford Magistrates' Court heard.'

Gilles Peterson has spoken of his terror after being allegedly stalked by a woman who said he would 'die' and shouted racist slurs at his wife, Stratford Magistrates Court heard

She attended the home Mr Peterson shared with his wife in Stoke Newington, posing as a charity worker and attacked his car with a pole.

Rook pinned a torn up photograph of the DJ's face to his car windscreen before leaving a Joker playing card followed by an Ace of Clubs.

She stalked Mr Peterson while subject to bail conditions, preventing her from contacting the Frenchman.

Rook also harassed the Radio 6 DJ - born Gilles Jerome Moehrle in Caen in 1964 - and his wife, Atsuko, 53, between 15 February and 16 March.

She returned to Mr Peterson's family home while on bail and banged on his window while he watched terrified from behind his blinds.

The traumatised DJ watched as Rook clambered onto scaffolding and began climbing up the outside of his house, the court heard.

She remained there until police arrived and told her to leave.

Rook also racially abused a police officer who arrested her, saying: 'She's not a real police officer, she's a Winnie Mandela.'

Mr Peterson, who was awarded an MBE in 2004, has founded world famous record labels called Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud. In 2006 he opened his current label Brownswood Recordings.

Sarah Jayne Rook is accused of harassment, an alternative count of stalking, and two racially aggravated public order offences

He is currently best known for his BBC Radio 6 weekend slots covering a wide range of genres, including soul, hip-hop, house, Afro, Latin and jazz.

Last month the French DJ told the court of his 'very traumatic experience' as he was bombarded with death threats.

He said he was in the middle of a live set at the Radio 6 studio when he spotted a tweet branding him a 'fraud' and a 'contrived c**t' and another threatening him with death.

'I saw a tweet (during the broadcast) saying 'F***ing kill him.'

'The other said: 'You sound like a contrived c***t right now, literally you are a fraud.''

Mr Peterson said the stalking continued on 16 March when Rook began knocking on the window of his home before alighting the house by jumping onto building work outside.

He said: 'She was banging on my window trying to get my attention and then we were having building work done on the house and she climbed the scaffolding and sat at the top until police arrived.

Gilles Peterson, a DJ for BBC Radio 6 Music, leaves Stratford Magistrates' Court, east London, where Sarah Jayne Rook appeared on charges of harassing and stalking him and his wife, June 1, 2020

'I knew it as a very traumatic experience for all of us. I was worried about the situation itself because it was escalating.'

Rook, who described herself as a freelance journalist and photographer, did not give evidence saying it would be a 'waste of an exercise'.

But she provided a written statement to the court in which she said she was conducting a 'freelance investigation' into the history of a jazz club owner linked to author John Steinbeck.

Gilles Peterson performs at 'The Common Good And NTS Presents: In Aid Of Syria Relief UK' at Styx on October 23, 2015 in London, England

Rook's statement referenced the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' where the protagonist attempts to prove the innocence of a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1930.

She also claimed she had worked with 'very high profile journalists who have links to Russians and Germans' and was receiving death threats.'

District Judge Louisa Cieciora told Rook: 'This was an extremely serious offence. It took place over a prolonged period intended to cause maximum distress and very serious distress was caused to the victims.

'It took place over two months, it was in the presence of family members. You targeted multiple locations so the victims had nowhere they could go without fear of you being there.

'You pretended to be a charity worker.

'You shouted abuse outside their homes, you left items on their home, you sent tweets. This had a significant impact on the victims to the extent they are in significant distress. I also note one of the instances took place when you were on court bail.

Rook is charged with stalking Mr Peterson at BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place while subject to bail conditions, preventing him from contacting the Frenchman

'In respect of the offence of stalking it is so serious it warrants a custodial sentence. That sentence will be one of 22 weeks imprisonment.

'In respect of the racially aggravated harassment against Atsuko Moehrle which forms part of the same incident but due to the racial aggravated nature of the offence which involved a public degradation of Ms Moehrle due to her race I am applying an uplift. It will be 26 weeks imprisonment to run concurrent.

'For the racially aggravated matter against a serving police officer I would have fined you £200 had it been mere abuse, in light of the fact its racially aggravated and there were extremely derogatory terms used I'm going to fine you £400 for that.

'The total you will spend in prison is 26 weeks with time you have already served going towards that.'

Earlier prosecutor Varinder Hayre tried to read the facts of the case only for Rook to interrupt her 23 times.

The judge eventually removed Rook from court before inviting her back to hear her sentence.

When Ms Hayre read a statement detailing the emotional impact of her racial slurs on PC Karling Richards, Rook interjected: 'I don't know why she would be offended by being called Winnie Mandela she was a pretty inspirational woman, was she not?'

Rook interrupted: 'Can I go out while she goes through this evidence, it's rather upsetting.

'Is this another trial, we've gone through this already. Not another trial.

'This is untrue by the way.'

When the judge invited her back into court to offer her mitigation Rook said: 'I think enough has been said by all parties, to be honest.'

Earlier this week Rook had been segregated from other prisoners at HMP Bronzefield over fears she might 'go ape' if put in a room with other inmates.

Rook, of Surbiton, was convicted of stalking, harassment and two counts of racially aggravated harassment.

She was sentenced to a total of 26 weeks imprisonment, ordered to pay £200 to PC Richards and a contribution towards costs of £300 and handed an indefinite restraining order against Gilles Peterson, Atsuko Moehrle and their immediate family. She was also banned from entering Broadcasting House.