A former girlfriend of soap actor David Kennedy has escaped a prison sentence after a bizarre campaign of abuse against him, which left the actor fearing for his career. Lindsay Cullen, 45, was handed an 18-month community order and a five-year restraining order.
Cullen repeatedly threatened to expose the actor by forwarding sexual pictures and private messages to friends, colleagues, and even a newspaper. She was already on bail for harassment when she committed further offenses. Prosecutor Sarah McInerney told Liverpool Magistrates’ Court that Cullen was motivated by jealousy of other women in Kennedy’s life.
During the campaign, Cullen made numerous phone calls to Kennedy, including one lasting 47 minutes and another day where she called him 61 times. These were described as drunken ramblings containing threats to expose private messages and pictures, and to make his life hell. She also threatened to kill herself. Kennedy stated in a personal statement that he suffered "unimaginable stress" and feared for his career.
Kennedy, 62, is known for his role as Dirk Savage in the soap Hollyoaks between 2011 and 2018, and also appeared as Dave Roberts in EastEnders in 2002. He has also featured in other television shows.
Cullen pleaded guilty to two breaches of a non-molestation order, two charges of stalking, and one charge of harassment, all of which occurred in April and May. Her defense stated that her actions were empty threats driven by alcohol use and that her three weeks in custody on remand for violating bail conditions had been a wake-up call.
Judge James Clarke noted that Cullen’s offenses would have typically warranted a prison sentence. In addition to the community order and restraining order, Cullen was given a nine-month alcohol treatment order and a three-month tagging order to monitor her movements. She was also ordered to pay £199 in costs.