A PROFESSIONAL photographer has been jailed after stalking his ex-partner and wielding a knife in public with intent to take his own life.

Andrew Brown, 59, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday (October 23) to three years and eight months in jail for charges of stalking, breaching bail and possession of a bladed object.

The Theale photographer had been in a relationship with the victim for about four to five years, having an affair, when she broke it off in April this year and started seeing someone new.

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Hearn proceeded to stalk the victim outside her Theale home and place of work, claiming he was ‘concerned’ about her new partner who had reportedly been released from prison after committing a ‘grave offence’.

He was later caught with a knife in High Street, High Wycombe on June 9 – reportedly wielding it with the intent of taking his own life. He was arrested soon after.

Opening the case, prosecutor Shona Probert said: “Mr Brown was angry and upset at this [the relationship ending] and the day after [the victim] woke up to abusive and offensive messages.

“Two days later, she received 20 or more phone calls from Mr Brown resulting in her blocking him.

“She started to receive a call from a private number…over the following three weeks, she received over 100 emails from Mr Brown. He was arrested and told not to contact [the victim] or attend her address or place of work.

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“However, he was seen loitering outside the block of flats and she had been at her place of work and saw Mr Brown walk past numerous times throughout the day.

“Mr Brown was also seen in public with a knife. He also scratched, ‘You will pay,’ into [the victim’s] partner's car at the time.”

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said her mental health suffered due to Brown and she didn’t ‘feel safe’ at home or at work.

Defending Brown, his barrister Mr Joseph said: “He is remorseful and he regrets his actions. There are a number of things he wishes he did differently and the time remanded in custody has given him time to reflect.

“He was concerned about her new partner which he understood to have been released from a life sentence for a very grave offence.”

The court heard Brown, of Cumber Place, has three previous convictions for three offences.

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Mentioning the possession of a knife while sentencing, Judge Greenfield said: “I understand you intended to take your own life but the public who saw did not know that.”