‘Hope you have a horrible birthday!’ Infatuated pensioner, 77, facing six months in jail after hounding an elderly widow, 77, he met on a Saga-style cruise when she rejected his proposals of marriage
- Welshman Douglas Dabb, 77, met widow Wendy Winstanley on Saga-style cruise
- Dabb hounded Mrs Winstanley, 77 from Cheshire, after she rejected his proposal
- He made 330 mile round trips and turned up at local church events she went to
- Last September he sent card wishing bad things and a ‘horrible birthday’ for her
Welshman Douglas Dabb, 77, admitted stalking an elderly widow he met on holiday
An infatuated pensioner is facing six months behind bars after he today admitted hounding an elderly widow with gifts and marriage proposals after they met on a Saga-style cruise holiday.
Welshman Douglas Dabb made 330 mile round trips to pester Wendy Winstanley, also 77, in her home town and turned up unannounced at local church events when she was volunteering.
Mrs Winstanley rebuffed his eager advances but retired Hitachi worker Dabb, of former coal mining village Cwmaman near Aberdare, South Wales, sent her abusive messages including a card wishing her a ‘horrible birthday.’
Dabb also sent a letter wishing her ill health and said he hoped she would be seriously hurt in a car crash.
During her ordeal Mrs Winstanley of Sandbach, Cheshire, had to ask fellow parishioners to act as lookouts for her in case he turned up at church services or fayres.
She was so fearful of her unwanted admirer she was said to be ‘white as a sheet’ and sobbing when Dabb managed to sneak inside the building whilst she stood in the pews area.
At Crewe Magistrates’ Court Dabb was warned he could face up to six months jail after he admitted stalking Mrs Winstanley who is thought to work in a supermarket.
Dobbs met Mrs Winstanley on holiday five years ago and continued to meet over several more. They were never in a relationship and were only friends, with Mrs Winstanley ‘making it clear she wasn’t interested in anything more’, the court heard.
Miss Yvonne Dobson, prosecuting told the hearing that Dobbs would try to hug and kiss her as each holiday ended forcing her to ‘turn her head to avoid kissing him’.
‘Hope you have a horrible birthday!’ Retired Hitachi worker Dabb (pictured outside Crewe Magistrates’ Court), of former coal mining village Cwmaman near Aberdare, South Wales, sent Mrs Winstanley abusive messages after she rejected his marriage proposal, including a card wishing her a ‘horrible birthday.’ Dabb also sent a letter wishing her ill health and said he hoped she would be seriously hurt in a car crash
Dobbs met Wendy Winstanley (pictured), 77, on holiday five years ago and continued to meet over several more. They were never in a relationship and were only friends, with Mrs Winstanley ‘making it clear she wasn’t interested in anything more’, the court heard
On a cruise Mrs Winstanley told Dobbs that she lived in Sandbach and they arranged a visit. After collecting him from the train station she took him on a sightseeing tour of town.
In June 2021, she began a relationship with another man, Ms Dobson told the court. ‘But in July 2021 the defendant contacted her on the phone stating that he wished to come to the area again, and asked to stay at her home overnight.’
‘She said “No” saying her partner would not approve but in August 2021, he contacted again and asked if she would say “Yes” if he asked her to marry him. She was taken aback by that as she had never been in a relationship with him, or involved romantically. Around this time his behaviour changed.’
In September she received a birthday card that was ‘a little early’ in the post and answered a phone call the same day asking if she got it.
The card contained a handwritten message wishing that bad things would happen to her and hoping she had a ‘horrible birthday’.
A neighbour saw Dobbs go to her home when she was out and attach flowers and a card to her gate post, the prosecution said.
The court heard that because Mrs Winstanley had told Dabb about her church, she informed fellow parishioners about him in October ‘in case he turned up’. Then in November, she received a five page letter from the defendant.
‘He said he felt that Mrs Winstanley would be a good one night stand,’ Miss Dobson said, ‘He told her how much in love he was with her. He wished her to suffer ill health and suffer a serious injury in a road traffic accident.’
The court heard Dabb did turn up at the church in early December while they were holding a Christmas Fayre. He had bought her an ornamental bike, she said, an item Mrs Winstanley had seen on one of their cruises. She believed he hand delivered the bike along with another letter.
During her ordeal Mrs Winstanley of Sandbach (Sandbach High Street pictured), Cheshire, had to ask fellow parishioners to act as lookouts for her in case he turned up at church services or fayres
The prosecutor said: ‘Once the defendant had left the church building she broke down in the kitchen, explaining to other people that the defendant had been stalking her and explaining that she was frightened of him.
‘On December 8 2021, she received a Christmas card which had a normal message in it, which she found strange considering the amount of hurtful things he’d already said.
‘Then on February 15 2022, she received another envelope which had a second class stamp on it, though she believed it had been hand delivered. It contained a letter and two green tea bags. On a past cruise she had given him those tea bags. She said she did not like green tea bags. She found that strange and concerning.
‘Then on March 21, of this year, she was at the church and while down by the pews, she saw the defendant enter. An individual managed to get him to leave. The individual spoke to the defendant and then spoke to Mrs Winstanley. The individual noted that she was as white as a sheet and she started crying. The complainant also received a number of phone calls but she cannot remember the exact dates or times.’
Telling the court that the victim had never written to Dabb or replied to any of the letters or cards he sent, Miss Dobson said that Mrs Winstanley finally went to the police who interviewed him on April 2.
‘During the interview Mr Dabb acknowledged every card and letter sent,’ Miss Dobson said.
‘He knew he had gone over the top. He said he just wanted to get it off his chest. He could understand why Mrs Winstanley felt like she did.
‘The harassment took place over a long period of time and in relation to the distress caused, Mrs Winstanley had to tell her church and broke down when she found out the defendant had been there.’
In mitigation for Dabb, defence solicitor Taryn Reay said: ‘He was a man of previous good character and unfortunately he loses that before the court today. He’s 77 years of age and has never been in trouble with the court before. He has led a trouble free life and I am as sure as I can be that he will not trouble the courts again.’
Miss Reay added: ‘He met the complainant on a group holiday and they were friends. They went on at least 12 holidays, some alone and some as a group. The friendship was very good. Not overly good, they were just good friends.
‘Then he asked to stay on her sofa. She had offered previously but he felt that if she was in a relationship he would back away. ‘He asked several times “Are you in a relationship?” but she did not tell him she was in a relationship. This is not an excuse because, regardless of whether she had told him or not, his behaviour was inexcusable.
‘But it simply explains why a man of 77 years of age who has never been in trouble before behaved in this way. What he wanted was for her to say “I am in a relationship” and whether he should be in contact or not. He understands that there cannot be any more contact and to his credit there has not been any contact since March 20. This was a friendship that was good that went incredibly wrong on behalf of Mr Dabb.’
At Crewe Magistrates’ Court Dabb was warned he could face up to six months jail after he admitted stalking Mrs Winstanley
Dabb had worked between 1964 and 2000 for Hitachi and after retiring he cared for his mother for seven years.
‘Following her passing away, given that he was retired, he started travelling, and this is where the holidays started to happen,’ Miss Reay said, ‘He likes to go on sleeper trains to travel to different parts of the country.’
JPs ordered probation reports and Dabb will be sentenced later this month. His bail conditions forbid him from making contact with Mrs Winstanley by any means or visiting her street.
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