Stockbroker plagued top model with texts

A STOCKBROKER has been found guilty of stalking model Sophie Anderton by bombarding her with text messages.

Paul Davis, 59, contacted Ms Anderton claiming he intended to write her biography.

But he went on to say he wanted to marry her on a mountain, buy her a solitaire diamond ring and take her for dinner at Claridges in a string of 88 texts sent between January and April last year.

Davis, who suffers from bipolar disorder, denied one charge of harassment on the grounds of insanity but District Judge Andrew Sweet ruled at West London Magistrates' Court yesterday that his illness was no defence.

The judge said of the texts: "While some were quite normal there are others that in my view would cause alarm to the recipient, particularly where the people were not known to each other. I heard evidence from Sophie Anderton. It was clear to me that she was distressed and alarmed by the text messages sent by Mr Davis."

The 32-year-old model told Kingston Magistrates' Court last month she was "practically hysterical" when she reported the matter to police.

Davis, of Enfield, Middlesex, had been previously convicted of harassment, in 2001.