Rochford: Stalker who sent threatening emails to women is jailed

A stalker who repeatedly breached restraining orders by sending threatening emails to two women and contacting them via social media has today been jailed.

Jack Bolton-Poole, who received a suspended prison sentence for stalking the same women in 2024, admitted the offences in November 2025 after initially pleading not guilty.

The 24-year-old, who lives in Rochford, sent an email entitled “WE WILL KILL YOU” with threats to one victim and the second victim received a message to her work email saying Bolton-Poole had “taken his own life”.

This was followed by an email with the threat “a life for a life” included within the body of the message.

Both victims contacted police and believed their lives were at risk, personal details were included in the emails including one of the women’s work address.

Detectives launched an investigation and quickly discovered that one of the email addresses was still logged into an IP address linked to the defendant’s home address.

He was arrested in February 2025 and refused to answer any questions.

An examination of his laptop showed internet searches of one of the victim’s work address and details of the setting up of a new email address.

He was charged with two counts of stalking involving fear of violence, two counts of harassment - breach of a restraining order on conviction and four counts of breach of a stalking prevention order/interim stalking prevention order.

He denied the charges.

However, when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court in November 2025, he admitted two counts of stalking involving fear of violence and two counts of harassment - breach of a restraining order on conviction.

The other counts were left to lie on file.

Ahead of sentencing Bolton-Poole was released by the court on conditional bail but broke those conditions in January by contacting one of the victims from his previous offending.

Using an online profile, hiding behind a woman’s name, he requested to follow her on Instagram. Police quickly arrested him at his home address and found an unregistered device in his wardrobe.

He was further charged with five counts of breaching a stalking protection order/interim stalking protection order and one count of harassment - breach of a restraining order on conviction.

Despite refusing to answer questions in interview he pled guilty to these further charges when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 14 January and was remanded into custody.

At the same court on Friday 17 April Bolton-Poole of Doggetts Close, was sentenced to five years and ten months in custody. 

Investigating officer Detective Constable Ross Francis said:

“These women were repeatedly targeted and experienced a real fear for their safety.
“It’s totally unacceptable and nobody should have to tolerate this sort of behaviour.
“People must be able to enjoy social media without the fear of harassment.
“We’re committed to ensuring people are safe and feel safe when they are online. These threats and unwanted attention are not acceptable and against the law.
“We will act swiftly when this type of criminal activity is reported to us.”

This week is National Stalking Awareness Week and we will be sharing advice on how to recognise the signs of stalking, how to report concerns, and where both victims and those worried about their own behaviour can access help and support.

Anyone in immediate danger should always call 999. Non‑emergency concerns can be reported online or by calling 101.

Detective Superintendent Dan Morrissey, Essex Police’s Domestic Abuse Lead and Chair of the Essex Stalking Intervention Panel, said:

“Stalking is a serious and high‑harm crime that we know can escalate quickly if it is not recognised and tackled early. Nationally, there is now a clear mandate for improvement following the Suzy Lamplugh stalking super complaint, new statutory definitions and enhanced offender programmes, which firmly place stalking within the Violence Against Women and Girls agenda.
"Here in Essex, we have strengthened how we identify risk, safeguard victims and manage perpetrators. More than half of stalking cases now involve online behaviour, so we have invested in digital capability, improved triage at the first point of contact and increased use of Stalking Protection Orders to intervene earlier and control behaviour.
"Alongside protecting victims, we are also focused on prevention. Through my role chairing the Essex Stalking Intervention Panel and through initiatives such as the Reflect campaign, we work directly with perpetrators to help them recognise harmful behaviours and seek support to change before further harm is caused.
"If you are experiencing stalking, or if someone recognises their own behaviour and wants help to stop, support is available. Reporting concerns early can prevent escalation and help us protect those most at risk.”