The TV personality told a court she would not go out and feared for the safety of her children due to the campaign against her.
asserted
she → tell → her
Ms Hopkins claimed the campaign by Oliver Hutchings, 32, cost her up to £450,000 in revenue.
asserted
campaign → claim → revenue
The theatres cancelled the events which cost her around £9,300 in lost earnings.
asserted
which → cancel → earnings
“Olly Hutchings’ relentless campaign of blackmail against me and my venues made it impossible for me to go about my normal life and work, and had a major impact on my life emotionally, financially and physically,” Ms Hopkins said in a victim impact statement.
asserted
Hopkins → make → statement
“The campaign of blackmail against me and the venues I was booked to perform at felt relentless, almost impossible for me to go about my life and work the way I normally would.
asserted
I → book → life
“It had a major impact on me emotionally, financially and physically.
asserted
It → have → me
“When venues were being contacted and threatened, I would often decide not to go out, declining invites from friends as I was worried that Olly Hutchings would turn up.
asserted
Hutchings → contact → friends
“I wouldn’t go out without security and I wouldn’t allow my children to go out by themselves because of the threats that were being made about me.
asserted
that → go → me
“It felt as if Olly Hutchings was obsessed with me and my life.
asserted
Hutchings → feel → me
“I felt, and I still feel, guilty as a mother for subjecting my children to the risk that I feel he posed.”
asserted
he → feel → that
Ms Hopkins told the court the blackmail caused her to increase the amount of medication she took for depression.
asserted
she → tell → depression
“I wasn’t able to function properly, and the actions of Olly Hutchings were taking such an emotional toll on me,” she said.
asserted
she → function → me
“I became quite distressed when I lose control of situations and I felt I was unable to perform my usual duties and routine.
asserted
I → become → duties
“I have been ostracised by colleagues, peers and friends because of the lies Olly Hutchings has posted about me online and the contact he has had with venues and other performers, threatening my safety and livelihood.”
asserted
he → ostracise → safety
Ms Hopkins said 27 venues had cancelled her shows, which she blamed on the “blackmail and threats made by Olly Hutchings”.
asserted
she → say → Hutchings
“A conservative estimate for the financial loss I have suffered is £350,000 to £450,000,” she said.
asserted
she → suffer → loss
“This loss does not take into account the knock-on effects of me not being able to perform, opportunities for further performances, disappointing customers who had bought tickets to see me and the reputational damage to me and the venues.
“
asserted
who → take → me
It’s clear from Olly Hutchings’ social media posts that he’s proud of these cancellations and took responsibility for them.”
asserted
he → ’ → them
The court heard that Ms Hopkins’ health had been impacted by the campaign against her, as she feared her epilepsy could get worse.
“Worse than my worries, though, were that of my husband and my children,” she said.
uncertain
she → hear → husband
“They feared the stress and anxiety I was experiencing because of Olly Hutchings would cause me to have another seizure.
asserted
me → fear → seizure
“I’m exhausted from the blackmail and threats from this one man.
asserted
I → ’m → man
“This has been a long fight to be heard and to be taken seriously, to take care of others harassed and intimidated by his behaviour and to pretend to my children and my family that I’m OK and that everything is fine.
asserted
everything → hear → children
“I have simply been trying to do my job and earn a living to provide for my family.
asserted
I → try → family
“Olly Hutchings has made this significantly harder for me.
asserted
this → make → me
“His actions have not only affected me, but impacted venue staff and people who spent their hard-earned money on a ticket to come and see my show.”
asserted
who → affect → show
Hutchings, of Denzil Avenue, Southampton, was previously found guilty of four charges of blackmail.
asserted
Hutchings → find → blackmail
He contacted venue staff through Facebook, email and telephone calls in an effort to get the events called off.
asserted
events → contact → effort
Audrey Archer, defending, said Hutchings, who suffers from emotionally unstable personality disorder, was “terrified” at the prospect of an immediate custodial sentence.
asserted
who → defend → sentence
“The defendant has faced a backlash as a result of what’s been posted on social media following these convictions, and in particular by Ms Hopkins,” she said.
asserted
she → face → Hopkins
“The backlash of that and comments from Ms Hopkins’ supporters have caused concern, worry and distress to this defendant.”
asserted
backlash → cause → defendant
Judge William Mousley KC imposed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered Hutchings to pay a £1,000 fine and costs of £1,000.
asserted
KC → impose → 1,000
He was also made subject of a three-year restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Hopkins, posting about her on social media, or attending the two theatres.
asserted
He → make → theatres
“You were convicted after a trial of those four offences, which arose from a sustained campaign over a month or two that you conducted against two venues, which had agreed to host performances by Katie Hopkins,” the judge said.
asserted
judge → convict → Hopkins
“You strongly opposed her views and set out to prevent those performances from taking place.
asserted
You → oppose → place
“The jury concluded that you made unwarranted demands, reinforced by menaces, in an attempt to force the venues to cancel the events.
asserted
you → conclude → events
“The evidence given at the trial establishes that your actions were persistent, deliberate and directed towards securing the cancellation of Ms Hopkins’ performances.
asserted
actions → give → performances
“Whilst you were fully entitled to hold and express your views on Ms Hopkins, views which others may have shared, your actions towards the theatres, underpinned by the lies told to add weight to your threats, amounted to serious intimidation of wholly innocent people who worked at those places.”
uncertain
who → entitle → places
The Aporia
