A stalker sent poetry to the subject of his ‘late teenage infatuation’.

Sahil Bhavnani, 22, admitted his behaviour between August 2020 and March this year would have caused distress to his victim – but denied a more serious charge of causing serious alarm or distress through stalking the woman.

Christopher Ward-Jackson, prosecuting, said the Oxford man had claimed his messages were ‘lines of poetry’ – but suggested he’d not come across the poetry in an Oxford anthology of verse.

Confirming that a plea to the lesser stalking charge was accepted, the barrister said: “The Crown take the view the court will have adequate sentencing powers.”

Defending, Richard Davies said it was ‘perhaps a slight case of late teenage infatuation going a lot further than it should have done’. He asked the judge to adjourn the case for probation and psychiatric reports.

Judge Nigel Daly bailed Bhavnani, of James Wolfe Road, Oxford, to return to the crown court on November 19 for sentence.

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