According to a report by iBTIMES, a stalker
who made his former neighbour's life a living hell before trying to
kill her in a horrific attack has been given a life sentence.
Joe
Willis carried out a five-year hate campaign against Helen Pearson, who
kept a diary of the 125 stalking incidents she suffered.
In one incident, the words 'DIE HELEN DIE' were painted on the street outside her home.
Her
ordeal culminated in a brutal attack, when Willis dragged her into a
graveyard and stabbed her eight times with a pair of scissors.
Willis,
of Exeter, Devon, was convicted of attempted murder at Exeter Crown
Court earlier this year and given a life sentence today and ordered to
serve at least 13 years behind bars.
Judge
Paul Darlow said Willis, 49, put Miss Pearson through a five-year
'campaign of harassment motivated by pure malice and a desire to make
her life a misery'.
Miss Pearson said the stalking began after Willis asked her to go and watch a pub band with him but she declined.
She
said he later made silent phone calls to her before moving on to
vandalism of her home and car, leaving graffiti in the street and
attacking her parents' home.
A dead cat was left on her doorstep and she had to install bars on her windows and change her mobile phone every few months.
She
was sent threatening letters, which claimed her stalker knew her
movements and included personal items stolen from her rubbish bin.
Miss Pearson, 34, has hit out the inability of police to do anything about her treatment.
Following
his conviction, she said: 'I was convinced the stalker was going to
kill me but I felt powerless to do anything about it. 
'I felt let
down by the authorities that should have been there to help me, that no
one cared and that I was a nuisance. I was shocked.
'When I look in the mirror I feel completely baffled as to why Joe Willis did all this to me. I did nothing wrong.'
She
added: 'The only way I thought I could end the stalking was to take my
own life and in August 2009 I attempted to do that. It wasn't a cry for
help, it was a real attempt to end the suffering.'
Her
parents - who have lodged an official complaint against the police -
were forced to hire a private detective to hunt down her tormentor.
Miss Pearson's nightmare only ended following the stabbing in the Exeter cemetery known as The Catacombs.
Speaking of the attack, she said: 'The first I knew about it was when I was stabbed in the back. I turned and saw it was Joe.
'I
saw his eyes and he looked absolutely furious. The first blow pushed me
to the floor and he kicked me and was trying to drag me along into the
Catacombs.
'That was where it was going to end. I tried to get free. I felt another kick and stab from behind.
'I thought this is going to go on until I am dead. He was deranged and so evil. I had six stab wounds on my back.
'I
remember seeing the scissors and turning my head and seeing them come
down. I saw his eyes were full of murder. He definitely wanted me to
die.'
The attack ended when a female motorist confronted Willis and he was later arrested.
Willis'
lawyer today said he maintains his denial of being her stalker and
taking the weapon - the scissors - to the scene of the murder bid.
Speaking
outside court after the sentencing hearing, Miss Person said: 'I am
relieved. It has taken some time coming, It's a relief that he is off
the streets and cannot harm other people.'
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