Philip Jerome, described by the court as an “obsessive” admirer with a “sexual interest” in former Doctor Who star Billie Piper, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for breaching a stalking prevention order.
Jerome, aged 49, appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on the day of his birthday, where he admitted to four offences of breaching the order.
Prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court that the stalking prevention order had been issued against Jerome on 21 July 2022, relating to his conduct towards Ms Piper.
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On 27 December 2025, police searched Jerome’s electronic devices and found four photographs of Ms Piper on his mobile phone. Officers also uncovered evidence that he had tagged 11 posts and images concerning Ms Piper, including AI-generated pictures, on his social media account on four separate occasions earlier that month.
One of Jerome’s social media posts dated 7 December 2025 read: “I think I know which image probably made me fall for [Ms Piper], the GQ awards, and made me want to meet her. She is great without a bra too.”
Ms Alrubaie noted that Ms Piper’s social media accounts are managed by her personal assistant, and the actress does not have direct control over the content posted. The assistant does not routinely inform Ms Piper of all posts due to the volume of negative or irrelevant material.
It was revealed Jerome had previously been given a restraining order in 2018 following instances where he visited Ms Piper’s home, pushed cards through her letterbox, and sent correspondence by post. He breached this order later that year by contacting Ms Piper’s mother and sister via Facebook, and by attending her residence and commenting on her personal relationships.
Police also discovered ringbinders at Jerome’s home containing newspaper clippings, event details and other memorabilia related to Ms Piper.
In 2022, Jerome received a 12-month prison sentence for breaching the restraining order again by attending a Comicon event where he posed for fan photographs with Ms Piper, changing his outfit between appearances. Security removed him from the event after Ms Piper recognised him.
The court heard that Jerome had previous convictions for harassment dating back to 2012 involving another female acquaintance, including an incident where he was found sleeping near her home.
District Judge Kirsty Allman described Jerome’s behaviour as an entrenched pattern of stalking and harassment, motivated by a desire to contact Ms Piper and initiate a relationship. She highlighted his sexualised references in his social media posts.
Defending, Caroline Bonavia stated that many of Jerome’s posts resembled those from a keen fan and that the key issue was his violation of the court order which prohibits such behaviour. She noted Jerome had been diagnosed with autism and was undergoing psychological support to manage his obsessive tendencies.
Ms Bonavia added that while Jerome showed limited remorse, his offences had diminished in severity and were moving away from more threatening actions. She emphasised the need for Jerome to understand that, regardless of fan status, such posting is prohibited.