Claire Foy's American stalker entered UK illegally, court hears

American stalker who bombarded The Crown star Claire Foy with messages and left her ‘terrified in her own home’ entered the UK illegally, court hears

• ‘Obsessive’ Jason Penrose, 49, left The Crown star Claire Foy fearing for her life
• The stalker, originally from USA, was today warned he faces a custodial sentence
• He bombarded Ms Foy’s publicist with more than 1,000 explicit emails and once turned up at her home in December 2021 and repeatedly rang her doorbell 
• Ms Foy asked friends not to post her picture over fears Penrose could track her 

A persistent stalker who sent thousands of explicit emails to Claire Foy and left The Crown star fearing for her life entered the UK illegally, a court heard today.

‘Obsessive’ Jason Penrose, 49, posed as a Hollywood producer and repeatedly targeted the award-winning actress – at one stage turning up at her home.

The American stalker bombarded Ms Foy’s publicist Emma Jackson with more than 1,000 explicit emails, including one referring to rape between February 19, 2021 and February 7, 2022.

Wearing a white shirt and brown cap, Penrose today appeared at Wood Green Crown Court where he spoke only to confirm his name. Judge David Aaronberg KC warned him that he could be deported after sentencing. 

Penrose was told he faced at least 30 months behind bars for his persistent stalking campaign. 

‘Obsessive’ stalker Jason Penrose, 49, posed as a Hollywood producer and repeatedly targeted the award-winning actress – at one stage turning up at her home 

Penrose initially contacted Ms Foy’s agent and posed as a scriptwriter with a $20million deal with Warner Brothers Studio

Penrose launched a ‘campaign of consistent stalking’ sending thousands of explicit emails, eight switchboard messages and going to the star’s home.

In emails shared with the court, he sent graphic messages detailing Ms Foy being raped and how he wished for her to be his girlfriend. 

Penrose also contacted Ms Foy’s sister by email and ex-boyfriend by text.

On December 17, 2021, the Golden-Globe-winning actress was horrified to find Penrose had turned up at her home and was repeatedly ringing her doorbell, Thames Magistrates court heard. 

The 38-year-old star of the hit Netflix show suffers sleepless nights and said the ordeal has affected ‘every aspect’ of her life, at one stage begging friends and industry colleagues not to tag her in pictures in case Penrose used them to track her movements. 

The court previously heard remarks made by the actress, who revealed how Penrose’s actions left her feeling as though she was in danger.

The stalking had ‘an extreme effect on her life and peace of mind’, and she was left ‘frightened knowing he was somewhere.’

‘Ms Foy was terrified as she did not know what his intention was. She was in fear for her and her daughter’s lives’. 

‘She struggles to sleep and is terrified in her own home. She feels like the freedoms before Mr Penrose contacted her have now gone,’ prosecutor Varinder Hayre added.

The Crown actress said in a letter to the court that Penrose’s ‘relentless attempts’ to contact her were ‘traumatic’ and affected every aspect of her life

Penrose launched a ‘campaign of consistent stalking’ sending thousands of explicit emails, eight switchboard messages and turning up at the star’s home

On the night he went to Ms Foy’s address, the door intercom was answered by her daughter, and Penrose said: ‘It’s Jason, I’m outside.’

The stalking left the actress ‘in genuine fear for her safety and terrified and helpless in her own home.’

Judge Aaronberg adjourned sentence until 2 December, adding: ‘It is the joint view of everybody who is involved in the case that Mr Penrose has a mental illness which is treatment resistant and there is a high risk of further offending and a high risk of harm. 

‘The suggestion is that the only way of dealing with this is a custodial sentence.

‘He suffers from delusional beliefs and relatively limited insight into his mental illness and there is a suggestion that keeping him in hospital is not going to help.’

Penrose initially contacted Ms Foy through her agent and publicist claiming to be a movie producer.

He said he was a scriptwriter with a $20million deal with Warner Brothers Studio and wanted Ms Foy to act in his sci-fi film.

Ms Foy played the Queen in the first two series of Netflix’s hit show and has won a Golden Globe, two Emmy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards

A judge previously imposed a five-year stalking protection order against Penrose this year, after Ms Foy raised concerns

Ms Foy played the Queen in the first two series of Netflix’s hit show and has won a Golden Globe, two Emmy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

She was granted an interim stalking protection order earlier this year, but despite the order Penrose sent her another letter and a parcel from the hospital where he was being treated.

District Judge Michael Oliver had previously imposed a five-year stalking protection order against Penrose in July after the actress raised ‘great concerns due to the nature of the communications.’

Penrose, who was accompanied to court by NHS workers, previously admitted two breaches of a stalking protection order.

He had been receiving treatment at Whittington Hospital in north London but it emerged today he is no longer receiving treatment. 

Penrose, who is originally from the USA, must surrender his passport to police, not apply for travel documents, live and sleep as directed by the Islington NHS Trust, not contact Ms Foy directly or indirectly or attend an address he knows or believes to be Ms Foy’s address.

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