A stalker was so obsessed by a York woman he met online that he twice travelled from his German home to target her, York Magistrates' Court heard.

Markus Marysiak paint sprayed "Liar", "Actress" and what looked like "Bitch" in large red letters on the woman's front door and the car outside her home on his second visit, said Melanie Ibbotson, prosecuting.

In his first visit he had compelled her to kiss him in York Explore library. As she had done so, she had collapsed to the floor.

The two had first met in an online chat group of 30 to 40 people before moving to WhatsApp.

"The relationship changed and the messages she received from the defendant became concerning, very persistent and also very angry," said Ms Ibbotson.

Marysiak had threatened to kill himself if she didn't communicate with him.

Then she heard from another person he was on his way to the UK.

"She felt physically sick and absolutely terrified," said Ms Ibbotson.

At 7.40am on June 4, he sent her pictures of himself in a cafe at York Railway Station.

She called police.

They persuaded him to leave, but early on September 8, a neighbour contacted the woman to tell her about the paint vandalism.

The woman has a partner and told Marysiak many time she didn't want his constant attention.

Jobless Marysiak, 32, of Aktienstrasse, Duisburg on the Rhine in west Germany, pleaded guilty to stalking, criminal damage and possessing cannabis found on him when police searched him after his arrest.

Defence solicitor Neal Kutte said: "The only reason for being here (in the UK) is this obsession he has for this woman."

Marysiak had been diagnosed with depression, borderline personality disorder and a social phobia.

He had not had a girlfriend for many years.

In a letter to the court, Marysiak wrote: "I am ashamed and regret so hard what I did. I tried to hold me back and in the end I lost control. In my mind, it was just a prank - revenge."

District judge Adrian Lower told him he had behaved like someone "entirely deluded and entirely obsessed".

He jailed him for 20 weeks and made him subject to a restraining order banning him from any contact direct or indirect including online and via social media with the woman or her partner for the rest of his life.

He also ordered Marysiak to pay the woman £300 compensation.

Ms Ibbotson said the online contact between Marysiak and the woman began at the beginning of the year.

By May, he was calling her "psychotic" and accusing her of having a borderline personality disorder.

Then in his next message, he was showering her with compliments.

"She felt like it was an emotional roller coaster," said Ms Ibbotson.

  • The York-based charity Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) helps anyone suffering from or affected by domestic abuse of any kind including physical, emotional, psychological or sexual. It can be contacted via phone on 0808 2000 247 or 03000 110 110, email on info@idas.org.uk and its website is www.idas.org.uk