A LIFEGUARD who stalked a woman for almost six months making his victim’s life a “living hell”, has been spared a prison sentence.

Thomas Perkins “bombarded” the young woman with emails and Facebook messages, followed her in his car and contacted her while she was on holiday with her family.

The 20-year-old denied the offence, but was found guilty following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

He was cleared of committing sexual assault and threatening to kill the woman.

The defendant was spared prison after Judge John Harrow heard that he had been “young and potentially naive” at the time the offences were committed.

Perkins has kept his job at The Rapids in Romsey despite the conviction.

Mitigating, Jeremy Wright said that Perkins was not a “fantasist imagining he [was] in love with some glamorous film star”.

“It is quite clear that he realised what he had been doing and what he had done was horrible,” he said.

“He used the phrase himself – he was ‘disgusting, horrible’, and showed thereby he had some insight into what he had done.”

Mr Wright said that “passions were running high” when Perkins began stalking the woman last year.

“He has showed genuine remorse,” he said.

“He understands that he had been obsessed.”

James Newton-Price, prosecuting, read aloud a statement written by the victim.

“In the statement, she said ‘Before I met Tom, I was a strong, independent, confident woman and more than capable of looking after myself’,” he said.

“She says she is frightened to be alone and only feels safe at home or at work.”

Judge Harrow told Perkins: “Over the period [of your offending] your behaviour was, and I hope you can now understand it, appalling, objectionable and it caused her a great deal of distress.

“You were obsessed with her and you could not let go.”

The judge sentenced Perkins, of Hunters Crescent, Romsey, to a 12-month sentence of imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as a restraining order barring him from contacting his victim. He will be supervised by the Probation Service for the full two years.

Judge Harrow said: “I don’t see why the public should bear the cost of your trial so you can pay £1,000 towards the prosecution costs. You can also pay your victim £1,000 for the harm and emotional distress you have caused her.”

Kevin Paterson, CEO of Valley Leisure, which runs The Rapids, Romsey, said: “We have the utmost sympathy with the victim and her family. We didn’t know about the incident until it was published in the newspaper and the employee has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation.”