An accused stalker who allegedly shouted death threats at BBC DJ Gilles Peterson has fired her lawyers and claimed she is being subjected to ‘witness intimidation.’
Prosecutors claimed Sarah Jayne Rook, 43, screamed death threats at the 55-year-old and his wife and attacked his car with a pole while posing as a charity worker.
Rook is charged with stalking Mr Peterson while subject to bail conditions, preventing her from contacting the Frenchman.
She is also accused of harassing the DJ’s wife, Atsuko, 53, between 15 February and 16 March.
Sarah Jane Rook, 43, allegedly screamed ‘You will die’ at Gilles Peterson, 55, as he left BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place in central London. She fired her lawyers last week after claiming she was subjected to ‘witness intimidation’
During the month-long hate campaign, Rook is accused of shouting ‘you will die’ at Mr Peterson as he left BBC Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London and two days later stood outside the record label owner’s north London home shouting ‘c**t’ and calling him a ‘rapist’.
She also allegedly turned up at the Stoke Newington home Mr Peterson shared with his wife posing as a charity worker and attacked the music producer’s car with a pole.
It is claimed she also made racially aggravated threats to Mr Peterson’s wife, calling her a ‘Hiroshima bitch’ and attending her workplace, as well as racially abusing a police officer who arrested her.
Callum Morgan, prosecuting, said Rook went to the radio DJ’s house on five occasions.
She appeared at Thames Magistrates Court today via video-link from HMP Bronzefield and spoke to confirm her name and date of birth.
Asked whether she was representing herself, Rook said: ‘I am for the meantime.
‘I’m in the process of trying to decipher who would be best to represent me due to what I perceive to be a campaign of witness intimidation against myself.’
Theresa Gerald previously defended Rook but said the accused stalker informed her on Friday that she no longer wanted her representation.
Rook was temporarily muted in today’s hearing after repeatedly asking District Judge Jane McIvor: ‘Are you not willing to furnish me with your name?’
She claimed she was being ‘heavily intimidated’ and had ‘links to Russia’ and said her family had been receiving death threats.
Rook said: ‘I’m just being subjected to heavy witness intimidation so I’m fighting for my family’s safety.
‘I am being heavily intimidated I’ve worked with very high profile journalists who have links to Russians and Germans. My family are receiving death threats.’
At an earlier hearing, Mr Morgan said: ‘On 6 March she posed as a charity worker. On 7 March she climbed up some scaffolding at an address across the street.’
‘On 16 March she goes to one of their other addresses shouting abuse. When she was arrested she was racist to the arresting police officer.’
Peterson (above) and his wife were allegedly subject to harassment at their home and at work
Rook appeared before magistrates on 18 March and was given conditional bail but she then breached bail ‘by being in an area she was not meant to be,’ said Mr Morgan.
On 21 March she attended his place of work and two days later the DJ alerted police after seeing Rook near his home.
She denies the offences, stating they are ‘malicious allegations.’
Mr Peterson, who was awarded an MBE in 2004, has founded labels called Acid Jazz and Talkin’ Loud and opened his current label Brownswood Recordings in 2006.
He is currently best known for his BBC Radio 6 weekend slots covering a wide range of genres, including soul, hip-hop, house, Afro, Latin and jazz,
Rook, of Surbiton, Surrey, denies stalking, harassment and two counts of racially aggravated harassment.
She has now indicated she will change her plea and asked the court: ‘Can the prosecutor tell me what the sentencing guidelines are if I were to plead guilty because I’m fighting for the safety of my family?’
She was been remanded in custody ahead of a summary trial to be heard by magistrates on May 19.