Norwich college lecturer harassed former Suffolk student

Dr Robert Power, 38 and from Postwick, near Norwich, bombarded his victim with unwanted calls, messages and social media posts after she ended the relationship and told him she had gone on holiday with someone else. 

His harassment included sending a letter to her parents and contacting her employers before he was arrested in November 2022.

Norwich Crown Court heard they first met at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds where Power, a historian who has also given talks at Norfolk schools in Gresham’s, worked and she was one of his students.

Dr Robert Power leaves Norwich Crown Court after being sentenced (Image: Newsquest)

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After keeping in touch a relationship began in 2019 but had started to break down when she moved to study in London in 2021.

Matthew Edwards, prosecuting, said she had told him the relationship had become “too claustrophobic”.

But when she went on holiday to Greece he harassed her including using fake accounts to send messages purporting to be from others claiming he had been taken to hospital. 

Messages to where she worked part-time left her employers so concerned they didn’t let her work alone, said Mr Edwards.

“She described feeling that he was guilt tripping her and was emotionally dependent,” he added.

In a statement read in court, the woman said it had left her paranoid and fearful of calls and messages from unknown and withheld numbers.

“I still have flashbacks and often wake up sweating and panicking,” she added. 

The Norfolk lecturer began a relationship with a former student after a lecture at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds (Image: Newsquest)

Power pleaded guilty to harassment having initially denied stalking.

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Mr Edwards said it was aggravated by “elements of abuse of trust” as he had initially met while her lecturer.

But Oliver Haswell, mitigating, said: “These were two consenting adults who came to know each other in an educational setting but came to develop strong feelings outside that.”

He said it was “perfectly understandable” he had sought answers when the relationship ended but accepted the frequency of his messages amounted to harassment.

Recorder Nicola Fitches fined Power £1,300 and ordered he pay costs of £605 after hearing he had sought help to address his behaviour.

She did not impose a restraining order as there had been no contact between the pair for almost two years.