Vindictive man who stalked family for years over a piece of land jailed

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A man who stalked a family for years after he was evicted from their private land for refusing to leave, has been jailed.

Leo Deen appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 7 May where he was sentenced to four years in prison.

The four year sentence comprises of 28 months for the sexual offences he was found guilty on Friday 2 May and 20 months for the stalking offences. He was also handed indefinite restraining orders and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The 61-year-old, currently remanded to HMP Altcourse, previously pleaded guilty to Stalking involving Serious Alarm and Distress and Causing a Public Nuisance at an earlier hearing.

The court heard how Deen was living on a piece land belonging to the family for several years, repeatedly refusing to leave. In late-2023, Deen was issued with an eviction notice after a lengthy court process.

Deen then began a campaign on social media, publishing malicious content about the victims and authorities, repeatedly accusing them of corruption and expressing his desire for ‘justice’. Deen also harassed the victims by repeatedly delivering letters to their home addresses.

On 13 October 2023 Deen began the first of several rooftop protests against his eviction, climbing to the roof of shop on a local high street. There he erected signs accusing the local council and the victims of fraud and directing members of the public to his social media accounts where he continued his campaign against the family.

Deen erected similar banners outside of the victim’s home addresses and throughout the local area, some of which contained the family’s personal details.

The court were told that after Deen left the land, the victims used hay bales to restrict unauthorised accessed. On 17 October 2023 the family were informed that these hay bales had been set alight, with videos of them burning posted on Deen’s social media.

On 25 October 2023, Deen climbed on top of a building containing offices of the local council, erecting further banners. The court heard how Deen remained camped above the council offices overnight leading to the building being closed over safety concerns, and council operations needing to be moved to other sites.

Deen was arrested after descending from the roofed area.

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On 29 November 2023, Cheshire Police’s Harm Reduction Unit successfully obtained a Stalking Protection Order protecting the victims and prohibiting Deen from publishing or displaying anything identifying them.

The court heard how Deen breached this order in December 2023 when he published the contents of the related court paperwork on his social media which identified the victims.

Deen was arrested for this breach in December 2024 and subsequently convicted.

After several months of further investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised police to charge Deen with Stalking involving Serious Alarm / Distress, and Intentionally / Recklessly Causing a Public Nuisance in relation to his actions at the council offices.

On 10 December 2024, Deen appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to both offences due to the overwhelming evidence against him.

Following the sentence, investigating officer Detective Constable Ashcroft from the Harm Reduction Unit said:

“I am pleased the courts have recognised the severity of Deen’s actions, and welcome the sentence handed by the courts in this case. It has been a long road for the victims in this case; they have been subjected to years of torment and have been courageous and dignified throughout. I hope that these convictions and sentence bring the family some closure and that they are able to move forwards with a more peaceful life away from Deen’s influence within it.

“Throughout these events Deen has frequently presented himself as the victim of fraud and corruption; he tried to vilify the victims and present himself as wronged. This is in stark contrast to the reality. The evidence has shown Deen has used every means at his disposal to continually harass and intimidate his victims after they lawfully evicted him from their land to which he’d been refusing to leave.

“Deen’s actions crossed the line from lawful protest, to stalking, not only impacting the victims he was targeting, but also his local community. He has now been held accountable for those actions.”

Detective Sergeant Nichola McClellan added:

“Leo Deen is a resentful stalker who believed he was the victim of a conspiracy between his victims, police and the local authority. Nothing could be further from the truth, and Deen’s choices ruined the lives of several members of a family which caused misery for the same local community he professes to care about. Leo Deen’s behaviour – which lasted for years – was shrewd and unscrupulous. He will now have considerable time to contemplate the choices he made.”

Detective Chief Inspector Danielle Knox said:

“This sentence demonstrates the commitment that Cheshire Police and the Harm Reduction Unit Investigations team have in bringing offenders to justice who commit stalking offences leaving no stone unturned in their work. The strength shown by the victims in this case is rightly recognised and I hope this shows that we will take all reports of stalking seriously and encourage victims to report their concerns to us even if they may not be sure it is stalking.”

The Harm Reduction Unit is a specialist risk management service delivered by Cheshire Constabulary in conjunction with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the Probation Service.

The unit also includes a dedicated investigation team taking primacy for the most serious and complex stalking investigations, with stalking advocacy caseworkers who provide practical support, safety planning and advocacy to victims of stalking throughout the Criminal Justice Process.

Man arrested, charged with stalking Memphis Mayor Paul Young

By:J. Holly McCall-June 18, 20257:31 pm

 Memphis Mayor Paul Young. A 25-year-old man was arrested June 18, 2025, and charged with stalking the mayor. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht for Tennessee Lookout)

Memphis police arrested a man Wednesday and charged him with stalking, aggravated criminal trespass and attempted kidnapping after he went to Mayor Paul Young’s house Sunday night. 

Trenton Abston, 25, jumped a wall leading into the subdivision in which Young and his family live, according to a Facebook post by Young. 

Memphis police said in a statement on Facebook that Abston walked directly to Young’s home after accessing the subdivision. He had a taser, gloves, rope and duct tape in his vehicle when arrested, according to police. 

Police viewed public and private security camera footage after residents reported earlier this week they saw a man behaving suspiciously in the neighborhood. 

The incident came less than two days after Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed and a Minnesota state senator and his wife were shot multiple times by Vance Boelter, who was arrested after a two-day manhunt. 

“In today’s climate, especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online, none of us can be too careful,” Young wrote on Facebook. “The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable.”

A state representative from Memphis raised concerns about the potential for political violence in the aftermath.

“No resident — no public servant, no child, no spouse — should ever have to fear for their safety because of their service,” said Democratic Rep. Torrey Harris in a social media statement. “Trespassing at (Young’s) home and threatening his family crosses every line of human decency. This is not disagreement — this is dangerous and reckless.”