Denise Welch breaks silence after stalker jailed for seven years: 'Serious offence!'

express.co.uk:

Loose Women panellist Denise Welch has taken to Twitter to break her silence after her stalker was jailed for seven years after being charged with stalking, among other offences.

In a post on the micro-blogging platform, the ITV star, 63, told how she was glad the judge presiding over her case had taken what she'd been through "seriously", after revealing that the ordeal has "permanently scarred" her life while addressing the court over videolink yesterday.In view of her 521,400 followers, the TV star addressed the issue following the verdict yesterday.She wrote: "Stalking is a serious offence."Pleased that in our case we had a judge who saw this."7 yrs!!" she ended her post, while sharing a link to an article following the trial.Denise's stalker has been jailed after starting a fire in the driveway of the Loose Women star's home, which left her "terrified".Toraq Wyngard, 64, was found with a kitchen knife in his rucksack following the incident.He was jailed for seven years and seven months on charges of stalking, arson, possession of a knife and criminal damage.He caused £4,285 worth of damage after the fire spread to their garage.Speaking to Manchester Crown Court, the forner Coronation Street actress said that the incident had "changed her life".Appearing via video link from America, Denise recounted the incident which occurred on 19 September 2020.She told how Wyngard started a fire in a skip outside her home in Cheshire where she lives with her husband, Lincoln Townley.She said her partner's "piercing screams" alerted her to the fire when a member of the public knocked on the door after seeing the fire.CCTV footage showed a man in a distinctive baseball cap pouring accelerant in the skip before setting it alight.He.