Leeds DJ Stephanie Hirst 'devastated' by stalker's 'completely transphobic' video, jury told

Stephanie Hirst, who took over Alex Belfield's slot at BBC Radio Leeds seven years after he left, said she believes videos, emails and tweets posted by him after her gender transition had been "targeted" abuse.

Giving evidence against Belfield, who denies stalking Ms Hirst after sending her a critical Facebook message in 2017, she said she had been "basically slated, parodied, for no reason at all".

The former Radio Aire, Minster FM, Hallam FM, Capital, BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio Manchester presenter told Nottingham Crown Court she had only met Belfield in person once, at a theatre in West Yorkshire in around 2010.

Commenting on Belfield's emails, tweets and videos, Ms Hirst said he became "very negative and very anti-me, very transphobic in the language" when she joined BBC Radio Leeds in 2018.

"Tweets, lots of them, came my way," she told the court.

Ms Hirst, who also works as a public speaker, added: "One of the major upsetting things in all of this is it's a fellow broadcaster.

"It's from someone who is meant to be in your corner. He was trying to kick me whilst I was trying to claw my way back up.

"He was banging a drum like Animal from The Muppets - 'You shouldn't hire her, get her off the station'."

In April 2018, the court heard, a video was uploaded to YouTube by Belfield days after Ms Hirst gave an interview about her transition to Pink News.

Referring to the video, which was shown to the jury, Ms Hirst said: "It was completely transphobic, targeted towards me... just all of it is a parody of me."

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Ms Hirst said she was aghast that Belfield was aggrieved at the fact he had been removed from a show in 2011 and had contacted her seven years later.

The complainant added: "What has that got to do with me in 2018? I have done nothing wrong - not one single thing wrong.

"I found some strength to be my true self... and for it I was basically slated, parodied for no reason at all."

Asked how the messages, including emails to her managers sent while she was broadcasting, had made her feel, Ms Hirst said: "It kicks you in the stomach and tears you apart because it's a fellow broadcaster who understood fundamentally the emotions that you go through on the air.

"You give your all as a broadcaster.

"To have someone who works in the industry tear you apart and share that, and 'Cc' in the powers that be whilst you are trying to claw your way back as a broadcaster is devastating.

"It gets inside your head. It was just devastating."

Asked by prosecutor John McGuinness QC to tell the jury about the effect of Belfield's emails, videos and tweets since 2018, Ms Hirst replied: "I have been publicly ridiculed.