An individual described as an “obsessive” fan with a “sexual interest” in Billie Piper has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for breaching a stalking prevention order protecting the former Doctor Who actor.
Philip Jerome appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on his 49th birthday to face sentencing after pleading guilty to four counts of breaching the order.
Prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court that Jerome, who lives in Winchester, Hampshire, was made subject to the stalking prevention order regarding Ms Piper on 21 July 2022.
The court heard officers inspected Jerome’s digital devices on 27 December 2025 and found four photos of Ms Piper on his phone, alongside 11 posts and images, including AI-generated pictures, tagged on X across four days earlier that month.
Ms Alrubaie stated this featured a message posted on 7 December 2025 in which Jerome wrote: “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.”
The prosecutor noted that Ms Piper’s account on X is managed by her personal assistant, meaning she does not hold direct access to it.
Ms Alrubaie said: “She doesn’t generally inform Ms Piper of posts, there is a significant amount of negativity that is not relevant and she doesn’t need to be made aware.”
The court was told Jerome was placed under a restraining order in 2018 after turning up at Ms Piper’s address, putting cards through her door, and posting letters to her home.
He breached that order in December 2018 by sending Facebook messages to her mother and sister “expressing a wish for them to meet up”, while also visiting Ms Piper’s house and commenting on her partner.
A search of his residence revealed ringbinders filled with newspaper clippings, event details, and related merchandise.
Jerome was previously jailed for 12 months in 2022 after breaching the restraining order at a Comicon event, where he posed twice for pictures with Ms Piper on the same day after changing clothes.
During the second encounter, Ms Piper recognised Jerome, and venue security ejected him from the event.
The defendant was also convicted of harassment in 2012 after targeting a female friend by “sleeping outside her address in the woods”, the court heard.
Sentencing Jerome, District Judge Kirsty Allman told him: “You have a sexual interest in Ms Piper making reference to her without have a bra on and so on.”
She added: “The motivation is to contact her in the hope she will engage in a relationship with you.
“You demonstrated an entrenched pattern of stalking and harassment offences, and failing to comply with court orders.”
Caroline Bonavia, representing Jerome, said: “Were it not for the order, these (offences) would be very similar to what a keen fan would post about a public figure.
“A lot of them are similar images of her head in an Andy Warhol arrangement, many repeats essentially of her face and sometimes with AI.
“The difference for him is that he must not do this and he accepts it.”
Ms Bonavia explained that Jerome lacked remorse and empathy, was recently diagnosed with autism, and had sought psychological help to stop chasing “obsessive and unsuccessful relationships”.
She added that his actions “had moved a great deal away from what one would think were the terrifying elements”, concluding: “He needs to learn that fan or not, even this sort of posting is not permitted.”
