Metropolitan Police officer guilty of stalking ex-partner after split

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New Scotland Yard
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A court heard Met Police officer Ben Bunsell "tormented" Natalie Jundo by persistently messaging, emailing and calling her

A Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of harassing and sending more than 770 messages to his ex-girlfriend after they broke up.

PC Ben Bunsell, 40, "tormented" Natalie Jundo by persistently messaging, emailing and calling her after they split in June, a court heard.

District judge Briony Clarke described the messages as "very unpleasant".

Bunsell was found guilty of one count of stalking without fear, alarm or distress while off-duty.

City of London Magistrates' Court had previously heard the pair had an on-off relationship after first meeting in December 2021 via a dating website.

After their relationship ended in June, Ms Jundo told Bunsell to stop contacting her and blocked him on various messaging platforms, the court was told.

However, Bunsell continued to make contact through email and calls using unknown or withheld numbers, prosecutor Jason Seetal said.

Giving evidence, Bunsell told the court he did not believe the messages he was sending to Ms Jundo after they split amounted to harassment.

He denied the stalking charge but accepted he attempted to call Ms Jundo about 20 times in the space of one day in June and that he made calls from a withheld number.

Finding him guilty, the district judge said his actions "collectively amount to harassment" and that the conduct was "associated with stalking".

Bunsell, of Greenwich, who has been suspended from duty, was bailed with conditions not to contact Ms Jundo and not to enter the London borough of Barking and Dagenham ahead of his sentencing on 18 January.

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