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The TV and radio presenter and former pop star Myleene Klass has told a jury of the “sheer terror” and sense of violation she felt by being sent in the post items including an air pistol, handcuffs and a police uniform by an alleged stalker.
Klass was giving evidence against Peter Windsor, 61, of Stechford, Birmingham. Windsor is accused of stalking Klass and her fellow Classic FM presenter Katie Breathwick between 2020 and 2024 by sending items to the radio station’s studios in central London. He denies the charges.
Taking to the witness box at Birmingham crown court, where she was shielded from Windsor’s view by a screen, Klass became upset when she was asked about being told how Royal Mail had “intercepted” an air pistol addressed to her.
Klass, 47, said “it just felt extreme on every front” after she was informed by her employer’s security staff of the packages sent by Windsor.
The trial has heard that Windsor sent a note calling Klass a “naughty vixen” and wrote Breathwick a letter saying he wanted to go paddling in a lake with both women while drinking champagne.
Klass told the court she was shown a list of items and photographs of some of the letters after being informed of them, having previously not been told about the mail to avoid worrying her.
Answering questions from the prosecutor Timothy Sapwell, Klass said: “It was very clear very quickly that it was a highly volatile selection of items. It was a huge shock, especially the extent to which it had escalated.
“It was pretty overwhelming when you have the accumulation of a bundle of this information. It’s pretty terrifying.”
Describing the overall context of all the items as “pretty bleak”, Klass added: “It’s a huge violation. It’s sheer terror really.”
Invited to describe her feelings when she was informed by a police constable in September last year that an air gun had been intercepted by the Royal Mail, Klass told the court: “He said to me that whilst the gun wasn’t necessary for a licence in this country, at close proximity, right up to 6ft it could prove fatal and police took it very seriously.
“I was extremely shocked because suddenly it felt extremely real.”
She added: “This was very clear what the intention was. There was no grey area here. It’s a gun in a box with my name on it.”
Klass first became famous in 2001 as a member of the pop group Hear’Say, created on the ITV reality show Popstars. She has been at Classic FM for nearly 20 years, won an all-star I’m a Celebrity in 2023 and is a panellist on Loose Women.
Breathwick told the court on Tuesday of her horror at receiving a letter with details of a DIY will-writing kit and other “raving” and “unhinged” mail sent by Windsor, who she said left her in fear of her safety.
Opening the case on Monday, Sapwell told the court that the alleged offending had left both women “worried about things like just going to work”.
He added: “It’s said on his [Windsor’s] behalf that his behaviour did not amount to stalking. He says that they never asked him to stop – he says it’s all a publicity stunt by them.”
Windsor denies two counts of stalking causing serious alarm or distress.
The trial continues.
