Stalker Sentenced to 21 Months for Terrorizing 'Strictly' Star Joe Sugg

A US-born man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for stalking "Strictly Come Dancing" star Joe Sugg and his partner, Dianne Buswell, over a four-year period. Robert Beckman, 31, bombarded the popular vlogger and YouTuber with a relentless campaign of emails, social media comments, and personal letters that began in 2022.

Beckman, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, travelled to the UK and gained access to Sugg's apartment building, leaving a folder of documents and letters under the door. He was arrested by police, warned not to contact Sugg, and subsequently returned to the US. However, the stalking continued with further letters sent to Sugg's address.

In a victim impact statement read to Lewes Crown Court, Sugg described the campaign as "mentally exhausting" and stated he was left "terrified" and "exhausted" by the persistent contact. He recounted being forced to move out of his rural home for a week due to fears the stalker might appear. Sugg also expressed concern over the potential misinterpretation of his YouTube content by Beckman.

The court heard that Sugg had to change his lifestyle and work practices, triple-checking his content to ensure it could not be misinterpreted. The messages, some of a sexual nature, caused him significant stress and anxiety. The frequency of the letters escalated, particularly as Sugg and Buswell prepared for the birth of their son.

Beckman's final communication indicated plans to travel to the UK again, providing flight details and stating he would stay at a hotel near Sugg's home. This prompted Sugg to contact the police, who arrested Beckman upon his arrival at Gatwick Airport. Sugg and his family were forced to flee their home and stay with relatives for a week due to the proximity of Beckman's planned accommodation.

Beckman pleaded guilty to stalking, which caused serious alarm and distress, and failing to hand over his iPhone passcode. Judge Stephen Mooney acknowledged that Beckman appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, stating that while Beckman may not have had malicious intentions, Sugg had no way of knowing whether he posed a genuine threat. The judge highlighted the "insidious and corrosive effect" of the stalking on Sugg's everyday life.

Upon his release from prison, Beckman is set to be deported and is subject to a ten-year restraining order preventing him from returning to the UK. Sugg, a prominent YouTuber, and Buswell, a professional dancer, welcomed their first child, a son named Bowden, earlier this year. The couple began their relationship in 2018 after being paired on "Strictly Come Dancing."