Joe Sugg’s stalker jailed after four-year campaign of unwanted contact
Joe Sugg was targeted by a four-year campaign of unwanted contact from an obsessed fan, leaving him fearful for his family and disrupting his work. Robert Beckman, 31, was jailed for 21 months after sending Sugg emails, social media messages and letters, and travelling from the United States to his London home.
The court heard Beckman believed ordinary actions in Sugg’s YouTube videos carried secret messages for him, including an instruction to travel to Britain. After police warned him to stop, letters resumed; Sugg said he had to leave his rural home for a week, change how he worked and worry about his partner Dianne Buswell and their family. Beckman later sent details of another planned UK visit and suggested they meet at a Gatwick hotel.
In short
- Robert Beckman was jailed for 21 months.
- His stalking campaign against Joe Sugg began in 2022.
- Sugg said it caused fear, anxiety and disruption to his work.
Explained simply
Joe Sugg is a British online entertainer who became known for videos on YouTube and has since worked in television and other media. His partner, Dianne Buswell, is a professional dancer who has appeared with him on television.
People who build a public profile online can receive messages from viewers they have never met, and repeated unwanted contact can become a matter for the police and courts. In this case, the court heard that Robert Beckman interpreted parts of Sugg’s videos as messages meant for him and travelled from the United States to Britain.
The case concerns the boundary between following a public figure’s work and contacting or approaching them in ways they have not invited. It also highlights how such conduct can affect someone’s home life and work, including the wellbeing of their family.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Stalker who forced Strictly influencer Joe Sugg and partner Dianne Buswell to flee home amid ‘terrifying’ four-year stalking campaign is jailed”.