London chauffeur given community order for stalking Qatari princess
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Jihad Abousalah worked as a driver for Haya Al-Thani and began to think they were a couple, court hears. A chauffeur has received a community order after being convicted of stalking a Qatari princess with whom he believed he was in a relationship. Jihad Abousalah, 47, worked as a driver for Haya Al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, and began to believe they were a couple, Westminster magistrates court heard.
At an earlier hearing he admitted a charge of stalking the princess between 1 and 23 March this year. The prosecutor David Burns told the sentencing hearing on Friday: “The complainant [Al-Thani] was staying in Doha and began to receive a number of calls.”.
Abousalah also visited the princess’s UK address and tried to give a member of staff flowers for her, the court heard. “The complainant said that the fact that it was her address left her feeling frightened,” Burns said. The court heard that Al-Thani became so concerned about Abousalah’s behaviour that she asked her husband to hire private security. Burns told the court that the princess felt she needed additional protection for her and her children.
“The complainant has stated she has spoken to her husband about hiring bodyguards,” Burns said. “She said the whole incident has caused her alarm and distress. She has said she could not go about her normal day-to-day life. She feels she needs protection for herself and for her children.”.
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