Man who spent 30 years pursuing Sun Page 3 model Caroline Christensen admits harassment charge
A NORTHAMPTON man admitted yesterday to harassing a former Page 3 model after he made repeated attempts to contact her over the last 30 years.
Peter Underwood, aged 51, of Elizabeth Walk, appeared in Northampton Magistrates’ Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to the harassment of 1980s’ Sun newspaper pin-up Caroline Christensen.
Underwood first sent letters to the model’s home address in 1982 after he claimed he saw her at a bus station in Northampton in November of the same year, the court heard.
Julie Costello, prosecuting, said Ms Christensen reported the handwritten letters to the police at the time and Underwood was given a warning.
Underwood made repeated attempts to contact the victim over the next 30 years by sending letters to another Page Three model, searching BT online to locate her family members, contacting the Jersey Tourist Board where he thought she was living, contacting a rally club her husband belonged to and hiring a private investigator, the court heard.
Ms Costello said Underwood’s latest attempt to contact the victim was by handwritten letters he sent to the publishing company of her debut novel, Shadows Over Time, which was released last year.
Ms Costello said the letters were received on December 10, 2011, and they claimed Ms Christensen had been the cause of Underwood’s breakdown and put pressure on the model to be with him.
She said: “Caroline has found it extremely depressing that he has been obsessive over that period of time since the first contact.”
Underwood attempted to contact the victim 10 times since 1982, the court heard.
In a police interview Underwood said the moment he saw Ms Christensen in 1982 was “like magic in the air” and that she smiled at him, the court heard.
Hayley Kempeneer, mitigating, said Underwood had been unemployed since 1994 due to mental health issues and his actions showed naivety and emotional immaturity.
She said: “He meant no harm and no malice. He has realised in his own head that it is never going to amount to anything.”
Presiding magistrate, Brian Gibbins, sentenced Underwood to a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
He also ordered a supervision order to be carried out by the probation service.
Underwood was given a restraining order and ordered to pay £50 in court costs.
Mr Gibbins said: “We feel that this offence was exacerbated by significant planning.
“It involved others and was over a long period of time.
“We believe you need supervision.”
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