'Horrible' Telford stalker avoids jail despite terrorising bus drivers and labelling them paedophiles

Tehfoor Javeed launched a vendetta against transport firm Arriva after he was asked to leave a bus for not wearing a mask at the height of the Covid pandemic, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

The 26-year-old, who has 78 previous convictions which are mostly for harassment offences or breaching criminal behaviour orders, avoided an immediate prison sentence - even though Judge Peter Barrie told Javeed his victims would be "astounded" he wasn't being sent to jail.

The court heard how Javeed got into a dispute with a driver on a bus in March 2020 and was asked to leave the vehicle. He then began his stalking campaign, turning up at the bus station, staring at drivers, appearing to film and take photographs of them and laughing as he followed them.

Dean Easthope, prosecuting, also told the court how Javeed created a fake Facebook profile of a driver, publishing photographs of him and details of his workplace.

"He posted false allegations, calling him a paedophile and a wife beater," said Mr Easthope.

Arriva banned Javeed from travelling on their buses, and the two drivers he targeted had to move and work from different stations.

In a victim impact impact statement read out in court, one of the drivers said he had called 999 on many occasions due to fearing for his safety. "The last 12 months have been a nightmare," he said. "It's taken away my freedom. I'm really scared every time he follows me. This has really changed my life."

The court was also told about several occasions when Javeed made hoax calls to the police about incidents at Telford or Wellington stations.

On April 15 last year, he claimed there was a fight involving two groups with baseball bats.

Then on June 14 of that year, he called the British Transport Police alleging there was a man on the bridge at Telford station who was suicidal. He also made false reports of people breaking into cars and of a woman pouring petrol on a man and having a gun.

Police scrambled officers to the scene each time.

Javeed, of Victoria Avenue, Wellington, pleaded guilty to two charges of intimidation and six of malicious communication.

Oliver Woolhouse, mitigating, said Javeed had learning difficulties and had been diagnosed with autism by a doctor. He added that Javeed was now working with his dad and that it appears he has "perhaps moved on from all these offences."

Judge Barrie said: "This is not about causing a nuisance to other people. This is about being really horrible to people. You became obsessed with making their lives a misery. It had a profound effect on them.

"They have had to live their private and personal lives looking over their shoulders.

"You posted the vilest abuse of them in public on social media for absolutely no reason at all."

He said he found it "difficult to believe" that Javeed was past this kind of offending, given his previous record. But said: "Knowing they (the victims) will be astonished by it, I am prepared to suspend the sentence and give you one last chance."

He handed Javeed a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Javeed must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity days. He was also handed a criminal behaviour order for 10 years which stipulates he is not allowed to travel on Arriva buses or trains.