James Nielson hammered on his former lover’s door and exposed the affair
James Nielson hammered on his former lover’s door and exposed the affair
A 12-year affair turned sour and led to a man hammering on his former lover’s door as he demanded a paternity test. James Nielson, 41, stalked his ex for three weeks as he wanted DNA tests to determine who was the father of two of her three children, who she had given birth to during the course of their long relationship.
His prolonged campaign saw him turn up at her home late at night and bang on the door, before leaving a note for her husband exposing the affair.
At Liverpool Crown Court today, March 3, prosecutor Lahraib Iqbal said Nielson and the victim had known each other for 15 years. While she had married her husband in 2013, she continued an “on-off affair” with Nielson, blocking his number during the “off” periods.
On December 4 last year, the woman woke up to find 37 messages from Nielson on her phone. When she left the house to go to work that morning, she noticed Nielson following her. She told him to leave her alone and continued on her way, but when she arrived at work at 8.40am, Nielson approached her again and only left when he was challenged by a passer-by.
At 11.30pm that night, the victim was at home in Liverpool with her husband and children when Nielson started to bang on her door. He posted a note revealing the affair and left the property – but returned in his car at 3am and started beeping his horn.
Ms Iqbal said: “At 10.30am (December 5) the defendant was spotted sat outside the address, beeping his horn and waving at (the victim) from his car.”
On December 8 at around 6.20am, the victim again left her house to go to work and was approached by Nielson. She told him to “go away”, got into her car and began to drive towards Crosby. But Nielson tailed her in his black Vauxhall Golf, causing her to pull over to avoid crashing into another car.
Ms Iqbal said: “He went around to the front of her car and with his fists began to bang on the bonnet of her car.” The woman called the police.
Nielson, of Carriage Grove in Bootle, pleaded guilty to stalking, driving while disqualified, and driving without a licence. He also admitted two breaches of a 12-month suspended sentence he received in September 2025 for being concerned with the supply of cannabis and producing cannabis.
The breaches came in the form of the stalking and driving offences, and in failing to follow his curfew between December 1 and December 8 2025.
Olivia Bell, defending, said: “I would urge the court to accept his remorse is genuine. he regrets any distress caused to (the woman). I in no way seek to minimise his behaviour but simply provide context for his contacting the complainant.
The defendant and complainant had been in an on-off affair for 12 years, during which time the complainant gave birth to three children, and it’s the defendant’s case that he questions the paternity of two of these children. Though his contact was in no way appropriate, I only raise it to explain why the defendant contacted the victim on multiple occasions.”
She said: “There were no threats of violence. Simply this was a man who struggled to lose what he called the love of his life following as 12-year affair and wanted to seek information about the paternity of the children.”
Nielson has 11 previous convictions for 21 offences, including multiple driving offences.
Sentencing, judge Louise Brandon said: “It’s quite clear the fear and distress you caused has had a physical and emotional impact on (the victim). It’s affected how she conducted her day to day activities. She has incurred expenses and she has described the impact these actions have had on her life.
“I’m quite satisfied that the stalking is a high culpability offence. This was a persistent action over a long period. You followed the complainant and your behaviour was conducted in a way to maximise her fear and distress, including turning up at her family home.”
She sentenced Nielson for 18 weeks in prison for stalking and eight weeks for the driving offences. She also activated 39 weeks of his existing suspended sentence, making a total prison sentence of 65 weeks (one year and two months). She also banned him from driving for a total of 115 weeks, and made a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for seven years.
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