Ferdinand stalker fails to appear at her own appeal

A WOMAN convicted of stalking Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand failed to appear at her own appeal hearing yesterday.

Susanne Ibru, 38, was due to appear at Warrington Crown Court in a bid to overturn her conviction for harassment and a 10-year restraining order put in place to stop her bothering the defender and his family.

However, she failed to attend and her appeal was dismissed in her absence after a short hearing during which Ferdinand was required to give evidence for a second time.

Ibru was jailed for 10 weeks in May after the 32-year-old footballer told her trial that she left him fearing for his family’s safety by turning up at his home and demanding to speak to him.

The court heard yesterday that Ibru, who is from Peckham in south east London but is now living in Warrington, Cheshire, did not attend because she had a “bad headache and a cough”.

Ibru was living in Peckham, south London, when she made three 400-mile round trips to the star’s home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, on February 21 last year, June 16 and June 18, the court heard.

Yesterday, the court was told of Ibru’s previous convictions including a jail sentence of three years in 2002 for attempted wounding with intent.

She also had previously been convicted for threatening behaviour in 1995, possession of a bladed article in 1996, criminal damage in 2003 and threatening behaviour in 2006.

Giving evidence, Ferdinand, wearing a black suit and an open necked white shirt, said that when she called at the house in the early hours in February, she stood at the gate to his home wearing a hooded top.

Asked by Ian Davies, prosecuting, how it made him feel, he said: “Startled. It scared me really.”

Mintz said his client, who claims to hold ambitions to become a sports agent, claimed the restraining order — which bans her from entering football matches and events in which Ferdinand is participating — was in “breach of her human rights”.

He said her behaviour was not physically or verbally threatening and she only visited the footballer’s home on three occasions.

He said that “did not amount to harassment”.

But Judge David Hale said police had warned her on the first occasion and told her not to return.

He added: “The conviction will stand and her appeal is dismissed.”