London - A judge feared for her life after being harassed by an embittered surrogate mother who lost a legal battle to keep her child, a court heard.
Sarah Singleton QC, 54, was confronted on the doorstep of her £900,000 seven-bedroom home by Lian Harris, 41, who had appeared before her months earlier.
The judge slammed the door in panic as the mother, who had travelled more than 60 miles after tracking her down, tried to pass her a hand-written note.
Harris then posted a picture on her open Facebook page revealing the judge’s address alongside a banner reading: ‘Courts corrupt to the core – complicit with child abuse’.
In a statement read to the court, Judge Singleton, a mother of two, said: ‘I was alarmed and fearful at being targeted and it has trampled over my right to a family life.
‘I feel concerned that the posts were left in the public domain for so long and that it has exposed me to other people who intend to harass and molest me – or worse.’
Harris had agreed to be a surrogate mother for a couple – but changed her mind and decided to keep the baby in June last year, the court heard. The following January, Judge Singleton presided over the case in a family court and ruled that the child remain with its adoptive parents.
Later, furious Harris found out the judge was taking part in an 18-mile charity walk for disadvantaged children in April.
Prosecutor John Richards said she posted a link on Facebook to the donations page, with a caption calling on her friends to ‘support’ Judge Singleton and ‘bring an egg or two’.
A month later, Harris travelled from her Lancaster home to Judge Singleton’s luxury family house in South Manchester with an unknown man who took pictures of the judge’s home.
Mr Richards told the court: ‘She heard a knock at the door and was horrified to find Miss Harris standing there.
‘She recognised her from the family court hearing that she had been dealing with.
‘Miss Harris smiled at her and made attempts to pass her a handwritten note but the complainant panicked and swiftly shut the door, her heart was racing and her mind was spinning.’
The prosecutor said Harris later posted a picture of herself on her Facebook page – which is open to the public – holding a banner next to the street name and captioned with the judge’s house number.
Harris, a campaigner for family law reform, was banned for life from contacting the judge under a restraining order after admitting harassment at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
District judge Mark Hadfield told her he did not believe she understood the ‘seriousness’ of the case. He said: ‘You are in court today facing very serious charge of stalking.’
Harris was handed a 16-month suspended jail term and told to pay £85 costs plus a victim surcharge of £115.
Daily Mail