David Beckham ‘stalker’ claims Victoria is an imposter

A stalker turned up at David Beckham’s home and his ten-year-old daughter’s school believing she is Harper Beckham’s mother, a court heard.

Sharon Bell, 58, is charged with harassing the former Manchester United and England midfielder with a series of letters after trying to make contact with the star since 2016.

Bell thought she was in a relationship with him and turned up at his luxury homes in west London and Oxford and even appeared outside Harper Beckham’s school.

Prosecutor Arizuna Asante told Westminster Magistrates Court: ‘The Crown’s case against Sharon Bell is that she…was stalking David Beckham and by proxy Victoria Beckham.

‘The evidence of stalking effectively amounts to letters sent to the Beckham home addresses in Oxfordshire and also London.’

Bell turned up at those addresses on 9 July 2021 and 9 September 2021, while the letters were sent in July 2021 and September 2021.

‘The letters prompted or announced the intention of Ms Bell to attend their home addresses in Oxfordshire and London,’ continued Mr Asante.

‘There was another letter sent on 5 October to David Beckham’s London address announcing once again that there is an intention to attend Harper Beckham’s school.’

Bell was arrested when she turned up at the school on 18 November 2021.

Mr Asante said: ‘Ms Bell has said not only to the police but also to a psychiatrist…she has effectively a delusional belief that she was in a relationship with David Beckham, that he stole her eggs and that Harper Beckham is her legitimate child and that is why we believe that she turned up at Harper Beckham’s school on 18 November 2021.’

Today’s hearing (Fri) was to establish whether David and Victoria Beckham need to give evidence in court at trial.

Beckham was not in direct receipt of the letters as they were dealt with by his security team.

‘Effectively, David Beckham’s evidence reflects evidence that he’s been told that letters were sent and that she turned up at his addresses,’ said Mr Asante.

The Crown must prove, therefore, that David Beckham was ‘threatened, frightened for the safety of his family and that he believes this behaviour was targeted and intimidating’.

It is not disputed that Bell turned up at the Beckham’s home address, or that she sent the letters.

Mr Asante added: ‘The only evidence that’s in dispute is whether or not Mr Beckham was harassed, upset by what was done and the defendant’s position is that he couldn’t have been because their client was in a relationship with him and he knew of her.’

Judge Michael Snow ruled that it was ‘in the interest of justice’ for the Beckhams’ evidence to be read in court.

The trial is due to take place on 12 July.

Last December Bell was made the subject of an interim stalking order barring her from approaching or messaging Beckham, his popstar wife Victoria, or any of the couple’s children.

Bell was also banned from coming within 500m of the Beckhams’ £6m Cotswolds mansion in Oxfordshire, their west London house, and Harper’s school.

Judge Snow extended an interim staling protection order until 14 July.

The accused stalker was not present in court today as she has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Bell, from Watford, denies stalking Mr Beckham without fear, alarm or distress between 6 July 2021 and 18 November 2021.

The charge alleges Bell ‘pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of David Beckham and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of him in that on 9th July 2021 he received a letter from you at his address and you attended the address, on 9th September 2021 he received a letter from you at his London address and you attended this address, on 6th October 2021 he received a letter from you at his London address and on the 18th November 2021 you attended Mr Beckham’s daughter’s school address and attempted to see her’.

Lisa Wilson, representing Bell, said David and Victoria Beckham should appear in court to be cross-examined about whether Bell was in a relationship with Mr Beckham and whether they conspired to steal her eggs.

Mr Asante said: ‘The defence can’t have their cake and eat it.

‘On one hand, those instructions amount to insanity but at the same time it appears that the defence want to put that insane delusion to Mr Beckham and ultimately to Ms Beckham as well.

‘The defence approach is internally inconsistent and unfair to the prosecution.’

‘It is in the interest of justice for a police statement to be read as bringing the Beckhams into court could subject them to further harassment.’

When asked what questions Ms Wilson would put to Victoria Beckham, she replied: ‘Did you knowingly steal Ms Bell’s eggs and did you know that he was in a relationship with your husband? Is Harper in fact Mr Bell’s child?’

The lawyer said if the court does not find Bell to be insane, magistrates will have to consider Bell’s case against David Beckham.

‘You want to put to Victoria Beckham that she conspired with David Beckham that she stole the eggs of Sharon Bell?’ asked Judge Snow.

‘They are Ms Bell’s instructions,’ replied Ms Wilson.

Judge Snow said: ‘The facts of the alleged stalking are not in dispute.

‘It is accepted that Ms Bell sent a series of letters to Mr Beckham and that he attended his home addresses on two occasions and on 18 November he attended the school of a child to speak to that child.

‘None of that was witnessed directly by David Beckham.’

Victoria Beckham picked Harper up on 18 November and was aware that someone was present who she believed to be Ms Bell, but that evidence amounts to ‘second-hand hearsay’.

Judge Snow continued: ‘The only evidence that Victoria Beckham can give is that she felt threatened [and] frightened for the safety of her family because of behaviours of Ms Bell.

‘Ms Wilson, on behalf of Ms Bell, seeks to challenge the knowledge of the history of the relationship between David Beckham and Sharon Bell with what is clearly an absolutely bizarre assertion that her eggs were stolen, and that the child is her child.

‘Anyone even vaguely biologically familiar can see at the outset that that is clearly a delusional assertion.’

He said that if he allows Ms Beckham to be cross-examined in court, he will be ‘endorsing the further harassment of the Beckham family in relation to Victoria Beckham’.

‘One has to be aware of the fact that there is a risk of the family suffering further harassment alarm or distress because of the delusional accusations put to them,’ he added.

He concluded that he is ‘quite satisfied’ for the statements of David and Victoria Beckham to be read in court.

‘I’m quite satisfied that it’s in the interest of justice for the statement of David Beckham to be read and that is my direction in relation to both of those,’ he said.

‘I’m afraid this has been rather entertaining for everybody but I’m afraid we won’t be going down this route at all, he added. ‘We’ll be going down the psychiatric route.’

He deemed it ‘highly necessary’ for a stalking protection order to be made to ‘protect the Beckham family from serious harm’.

One doctor has assessed that Bell is not fit to plead, but Judge Michael Snow has ordered another report.

Bell is current under section in Kneesworth House Hospital, Royston, Hertfordshire.

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