A smirking stalker followed his victim around in a van - terrifying her so much she bought a body-worn camera for protection.

“Obsessed” Anthony Laslett’s target lived in “pure fear” as he passed by her Margate home 15 times in a van during a sustained campaign to control her.

Annabel Holland's ordeal began when she ended any romantic involvement with Laslett, who then pestered her until she was too scared to leave her house.

Laslett, a 28-year-old managing director for an electrical firm, left Canterbury Crown Court smiling on Wednesday after being handed a suspended prison sentence.

Moments before, the stalker could be seen weeping in the dock, while promising a judge he would leave Miss Holland alone, or face prison.

The court heard Miss Holland was forced to secure a temporary stalking order against Laslett last year, in a bid to shut down his advances.

But while pining for attention, Laslett trampled over the court ruling by following her on TikTok at the end of last year.

He then passed by her home 15 times in a Vauxhall van, despite it being fitted with a tracker system to help authorities trace his movements.

And she was left terrified after Laslett and another man smirked at her from the same vehicle three times on a day in January this year, prosecutors said.

Laslett breached the order a final time by entering Bugsy’s Tenpin Bowling in Ethelbert Crescent in June, and was arrested shortly afterwards.

Miss Holland, who attended the hearing remotely, told the court in a statement: “I’m in pure fear of Anthony Laslett. He makes me so scared that I don’t want to go out.

“I don't go out. I spend most of my time at home apart from seeing my mother.

“It has got to that point now where I would rather video-call people than go out because I’m scared.”

Miss Holland added she walks outside with a video camera in case he is following her, and feels “jumpy and paranoid”.

“During this last year and a half, dealing with a stalker has really affected my life and the things I do,” she said in a second statement.

Laslett originally denied the crimes in a police interview but admitted four stalking offences before a trial.

Kerry Waitt, mitigating, said Laslett “accepts there is no future in a relationship” with Miss Holland and assures he “will not be pestering her in the future”.

“It is clear there has been difficulty with Mr Laslett accepting and understanding the impact of his behaviour," he said.

“I would suggest the defendant’s behaviour, his fixation, his failure to realise the consequences is, in part, attributable to his underlying mental health issues, in particular his autism.”

Judge Catherine Brown said suspending Laslett’s sentence would allow her to enforce more stringent measures.

It would provide more help to protect Miss Holland and anyone else he fixates on, while increasing the chance of rehabilitation.

She told Laslett his “terrifying” behaviour showed a “complete lack of empathy” as he “altered [Miss Holland's] life in significant ways”.

“You had never been more than friends, you wanted more, she did not, and you did not accept that and it is clear you became obsessed," she added.

She handed Laslett a 28-week jail sentence suspended for 18 months, 150 hours of unpaid work and 45 probation days.

A three year restraining order already imposed by the lower court will continue to run.

Laslett, of Addington Street, was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation at £100 a month.