Chesterfield warehouse man pestered colleague for romance for ten months

“Obsessive” Kyle Sheppard, 30, had known the fellow staff member since 2019 however she was “weirded out” when he approached at work - asking if she would “be his girlfriend”.

Prosecutor Lynn Bickley told Chesterfield Magistrates Court how - despite his colleague’s insistence she was “not interested” in Sheppard “in that way” - his amorous advances continued.

Ms Bickley said: “Later at work she was about to clock out when she was approached by the defendant.

“He told her he was in the process of buying a house but couldn’t keep his mind focused or stop thinking about her.

“She felt weirded out and creeped out and told him to stop thinking about her.”

The court heard the pair had no more contact after Sheppard’s victim was furloughed for three months during the pandemic.

However in January 2021, while they were both at work, Sheppard asked if he could speak to the fellow worker then told her “I’m in love with you”.

It also emerged Sheppard had shared his feelings towards his victim with other workers at the warehouse.

Ms Bickley said: “In April some Pretzels were left on her desk and he asked her if they had cheered her up.”

By July last year Sheppard’s hounded co-worker had moved from the warehouse to a role in the office.

Managers at the firm confirmed he would “hang around” the office - attempting to engage her in conversation.

Ms Bickely said: “He was coming into the office far more often than is normal for his role.”

Sheppard’s behaviour was reported to managers at the firm however the defendant ignored warnings from them, said Ms Bickley.

Towards the end of 2021 Sheppard was finally sacked due to his cloying behaviour.

However he later sent a text message to his victims father, who worked at the warehouse’s HR department, writing that talking to the victim were “among his happiest moments”.

Magistrates heard during a police interview the defendant described his own behaviour as “obsessive” and that he had scoured Tinder and other dating apps to find his colleague and make contact.

His solicitor Kirsty Sargent said: “It’s fair to say that a misperception is what’s happened here.

“He has believed that (his co-worker) was content talking to him - clearly her perception was that she did not want any contact with him apart from contact during the course of their employment.”

Sheppard wept as Ms Sargent said he had not only lost his job of 13 years but also the friendships he had made while working at the firm.

The defendant, of Scarsdale Street, Bolsover, admitted stalking.

A magistrate told him: “This is more serious because it was repeated - you were told by (the victim) and colleagues your behaviour should stop but it didn’t.”

He was handed a two-year restraining order, a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity days and 90 hours unpaid work.

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