Briton jailed for blog on imaginary rape

LONDON - A 40-year-old Briton has been jailed for writing a blog on the imaginary rape and murder of an author who he has been harassing for two years.

Greg Downing wrote in an online novel about an imagined attack on Katharine Quarmby, an author of children’s books and a journalist, the London Evening Standard newspaper reported.

Downing bombarded Quarmby with phone calls and email after they met through a dating website in 2008, a crown court was told.

Quarmby called off their relationship after four weeks, and later reported Downing to the police for stalking her on three occasions.

Downing also found the blog after typing her name in Google.

The 29-page article, titled “A Novel: Katharine Quarmby”, is about a man stalking the writer, burgling her home, raping and finally murdering her.

Judge Deva Pillay sentenced Downing to six months in jail for putting a person in fear of violence.

“This can only be described as a campaign of harassment. It is clear that your harassment of Quarmby has been deliberate and premeditated so as to cause her and her family the maximum discomfort, embarrassment and fear,” Pillay said.