A charity shop volunteer who stalked and intimidated a colleague with unwanted sexual advances has been jailed for two years.

Nicholas Collins, aged 55 from Newport, has been found guilty by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court of intimidating and making sexual advances to his colleague at the shop in Newport.

He made the unwanted advances to her at work and gave her gifts of a “sexual and inappropriate nature”, according to Gwent Police.

After he was suspended he would turn up outside of what had been his designated hours, the police added.

The victim said that Collins’ behaviour “has changed [her] life” impacting her emotionally, physically, socially, and professionally. She expressed concerns that she’ll “never go back to being my full self” and no longer knows who she can trust, said Gwent Police.

The officer in charge of the investigation DC Leah Baker said: "Nicholas Collins subjected the victim, a charity shop manager where he was a volunteered, to a seven-month campaign of intimidating and predatory behaviour.

“Despite the victim expressing no interest in Collins’ affections or sexual advances, he blatantly ignored this and continued to make sexual comments, send sexualised messages and gifts

“Stalking can have a devastating impact on people and the extent of Collins’ behaviour led the victim in this case to change her day-to-day life – including her regular route home and dyeing her hair to disguise herself – causing her significant distress and misery.”

DC Baker added: “Collins has a blatant disregard for women’s safety as demonstrated by his repeated pattern of behaviour towards women and continues to be a dangerous individual.

“I hope that this sentence provides some comfort to the victim and so that we take allegations of stalking very seriously and encourages other victims that they will be believed and offenders will be brought to justice.”

Collins has also been handed an indeterminate restraining order.

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