Anna Friel's 'fixated' stalker, 71, ordered to stay away from star's home as he's bailed

A man who stalked Anna Frielis due to be sentenced next month. Phil Appleton, 71, will attend court after he sent several messages to the star and visited her home address, leaving "unwanted" gifts.

The incidents took place between January 1 2022 and December 11 2024, Reading Crown Court had previously heard. Appleton has been bailed ahead of next month's sentencing.

Earlier this week the pensioner pleaded guilty to a stalking offence under Section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. His initial sentencing was due to take place on Thursday.

However, Judge Alan Blake adjourned the hearing until September 18 for a pre-sentence report to be carried out.

Appleton has been told he must not contact the former Brookside actress, 49. He is also not allowed to enter the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, while he must co-operate with those tasked with conducting the pre-sentence report.

He had been in custody for six months, the court heard. He is also said to have spent time in a mental health facility but has now been granted conditional bail.

The stalking is said to have caused Ms Friel “serious alarm or distress” and had “an adverse effect on her day-to-day activities”, the court heard in March. At the time, Appleton had pleaded not guilty.

He previously pleaded not guilty to one count of stalking causing serious alarm or distress. The defendant, who appeared by videolink from HMP Bullingdon and did not have a solicitor present in court, told judge Neil Millard he accepted sending messages to Ms Friel and visiting her home address on several occasions, but denied his behaviour amounted to stalking.

Friel is best known for her role as Detective Sergeant Marcella Backland in the hit ITV drama Marcella, which aired from 2016 until 2019. She also played the part of Beth Jordache in the iconic Channel 4 soap Brookside between 1993 and 1995.

It was this role that landed her a National Television Awards in 1995. As well as he UK success, Friel forged an impressive CV stateside.

She starred as Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles in the ABC comedy series Pushing Daisies from 2007 until 2009. She then had a lead role in the second season of the anthology series The Girlfriend Experience - which was created by Oscar winning Hollywood director Steven Soderbergh.

In Marcella, the popular Netflix series, Friel landed an Emmy Award. She was named the winner of the Best Performance by an Actress category in 2017.

Elsewhere in her impressive portfolio, she has appeared in films such as Limitless, alongside Bradley Cooper, and London Boulevard alongside Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley.

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