Derbyshire Times news bulletin 3rd November

Derbyshire Times

Derbyshire Times news bulletin with editor Phil Bramley

Transcript

00:00 Here's today's Derbyshire Times video bulletin.

00:03 Parts of Derbyshire are on flood alert again following heavy rain from Storm Kieran.

00:08 The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the Lower Derwent in Derbyshire,

00:12 with an area including Rowsley, Matlock and Darleydale said to be at risk, alongside Belper and Derby.

00:19 The EA alert said, "Flooding is possible in this area. Monitor water levels and weather conditions.

00:25 Avoid using low-lying footpaths or entering areas prone to flooding. Stand your flood plan if you have one."

00:32 Flood alerts are also in place around Ilkeston and Heaner on the River Erewash.

00:36 Their comers' land in Derbyshire is still saturated from water following heavy rainfall brought by Storm Babette last month,

00:42 which caused flooding across the county. More heavy rain is also forecast for Derbyshire on Saturday.

00:50 The inquest into the death of Chesterfield's Gracie Spinks has heard the call she made to police,

00:55 reporting Michael Sellers for stalking her.

00:58 She was worried about what might happen if he lost an appeal over his dismissal from Derbyshire e-commerce firm X-Byte, where he worked.

01:05 During the call, Gracie described how Sellers was being a "complete weirdo" and she was worried it might happen to somebody else.

01:12 She told the call handler, "I want him on file and for you to report it.

01:16 I'm worried if it happens to someone else it could be worse. He might actually kidnap someone."

01:22 Four months after making the call, Gracie was tragically stabbed to death.

01:26 Yeah, yeah. And whereabouts does this happen? She said it happened at work.

01:30 Well, quite a few things have happened, yeah.

01:34 Basically, me and the supervisor, we were messaging a bit on Messenger and stuff, getting to know each other,

01:44 and then I called it off because I didn't have no feelings for him.

01:48 And then he became, like, obsessed with me and wouldn't leave me alone

01:54 and basically loads of things happened.

01:57 And then on the 4th of January, before work, he was sat waiting at my horse's field, like, waiting for me to go there,

02:05 which scared me a lot. And so I drove straight to work and I told work,

02:09 and they've been doing a big, massive investigation on him and he got suspended.

02:13 He got the sack, but then now he's trying to appeal it, saying that I'm a liar and this other person's a liar.

02:20 And I'm just, I don't want anything to happen, I don't want him to be arrested or anything,

02:25 but I just want something to be on file and for me to report this because my work,

02:30 I've said that things have happened like this in the past and that this is the worst one that's happened.

02:36 And he's said that every time this has happened at work, it's got worse and worse,

02:41 and I'm just worried that, you know, the next time it happens to someone else,

02:46 that you're not going to, you know, it could be worse than just following me and not leaving me alone.

02:52 You know, he might kidnap someone. Do you know what I mean?

02:56 OK, so he was waiting for you on your horse. Did he see you?

02:59 Did you not, you didn't get out, you just drove past?

03:02 No, I just drove past because I didn't want, I blocked him on all my social media

03:07 and that's when he turned up at my horse's field.

03:11 On the way to work, where I work, if my horse is on the way,

03:16 and he knows that where I keep him because he's met me there before,

03:20 before we started going weird, we were friends before, we were getting to know each other,

03:25 and he was fine.

03:26 Did you have any kind of relationship at all, Gracie?

03:29 No, not a relationship at all, no.

03:33 OK. So you were just texting, you weren't going out at all?

03:39 No, we met a couple of times, met on a walk.

03:42 I mean, I did go to his house once and he came to mine once,

03:46 but he sent normal and then as soon as I called it off,

03:49 it was just getting weirder and weirder and he was messaging...

03:51 So you were just friends?

03:53 Yeah, just friends, yeah.

03:55 We literally were just messaging for probably just over a month, nothing.

03:59 OK, when did that start?

04:01 It started around the end of October and I called it off, I'd say the 15th of December.

04:11 So like a month and a half.

04:13 And he started to get a bit weird, you say, because you called it off?

04:17 Yeah, yeah.

04:19 So when did you block him?

04:22 I blocked him on maybe...

04:25 Oh, when was it?

04:27 I think it was 31st of December.

04:31 My work had got all the messages and everything on file

04:35 and he was also messaging a young lad at my work, he was 17,

04:40 messaging him all the time, asking him what I'm posting on my social media,

04:44 what I'm doing, who am I meeting.

04:47 He was following me on the cameras at work apparently,

04:50 because people have seen him do it.

04:53 He was asking people where I work, why am I talking to him,

04:57 asking other supervisors for them to come and ask me

05:00 whether he can come and speak to me, just being a complete weirdo.

05:04 And then obviously turning up at my horse's field, you know, I think...

05:08 What's he done since then?

05:10 After turning up, what's he done since the 5th of January?

05:13 So that was on the 4th, and that's the day that I told work what had happened.

05:18 He's not been in contact since, but literally today is when he's appealed it

05:22 and I just want something on file that if he...

05:25 I feel as though because this is almost going to be over,

05:29 if they've not finalised it, I feel like, you know,

05:32 if he comes and tries to find me again or shows up at my house

05:35 or shows up at my yard again, you know, I want...

05:38 Do you know what I mean? I want something on file for it.

05:41 And I'm worried that if... because if he's lost his job

05:45 and he goes to the next place, my work can't tell them what's happened.

05:50 Right, OK. So you say he's done it before?

05:54 Yeah, at my work, yeah. He's done it to other girls at the warehouse, yeah.

05:59 Right. Which I didn't know. I didn't know, but my work,

06:03 now that this has all come out, has told me that every single time

06:06 it's got weirder and weirder, he's followed people home,

06:09 you know, after they've finished work.

06:11 Right, OK. So what's his name?

06:15 Michael Sellers.

06:18 Any idea where he lives or... You say you've been to his house?

06:22 Yeah, I don't... I can't remember his address.

06:25 I probably have it wrote down on... I probably have it in old messages,

06:28 but I've blocked him, so I probably can't find him.

06:31 He lives near, um...

06:34 Oh... I can't remember the place.

06:37 Is it Sellers, S-C-double-L-A-R-S?

06:40 E-R-S. E-R-S.

06:43 OK. And about how old is he?

06:47 34. He's 34.

06:50 OK.

06:53 And where do you work at the moment?

06:56 Oh, sorry. It's called X-Bite.

06:59 X-Bite?

07:01 Yeah, X-B-I-T-E. It's a warehouse.

07:05 OK. And whereabouts is that?

07:07 Markham Vale at Junction 29A.

07:10 OK.

07:14 Sorry, were you going to say he lives roughly what area?

07:17 It's...

07:19 Do you know where Crystal Peaks is?

07:22 I don't, but it's that Sheffield, isn't it?

07:25 Yeah.

07:27 He lives that way, does he? South Yorkshire?

07:31 Yeah. Yeah. OK. I'll put that on there.

07:34 What I'll do, Grace, is I've logged the details.

07:37 I know you don't want to take it any further at this time,

07:40 but an officer will probably need to speak to you

07:42 just to get some further information from you

07:44 so that it can be logged properly on the system.

07:47 OK.

07:49 Yeah, I kind of thought that's why I'm not going through loads of details

07:52 and kind of rushed it because, you know, things have happened and...

07:56 Yeah, you can tell the officer exactly, you know,

07:59 the full details of what's happened.

08:01 So what I'll do is, if you're not in an actual relationship,

08:04 you're just friends, I'll put it on as a job now

08:07 and I'll get an officer to speak to you

08:09 to follow this up in a few days with you

08:11 to take some further details.

08:13 Yeah. OK.

08:15 Is it all right if you just put on

08:17 "Best time to call me is after five"

08:19 because I can't have my phone on at work.

08:21 Yeah, of course I will. Yeah. Do you work Monday to Friday?

08:24 Yeah. OK.

08:26 I will put that on there that that's the best time for you.

08:30 Yeah. OK.

08:32 You know, you can speak to my work and stuff and ask them everything

08:35 because they've got everything, you know,

08:37 from this investigation, from suspending him for it.

08:40 Yeah, well, I'll put that all on for the officer.

08:42 If anything else happens in the meantime

08:44 and, you know, it does get a bit weirder and say terms

08:46 but you're addressing your concern for your safety,

08:49 don't answer the door to him and call 999.

08:51 We'll get an officer out to you.

08:53 Yeah. OK.

08:55 Thank you. OK, then, Grace, but I'll get an officer to speak to you.

08:58 Thank you. OK. Thanks, then.

09:01 Thanks. Bye-bye.

09:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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