Polly Clarkson - Stalkers. Disturbing True Life Stories of Harassment, Jealousy and Obsession

T he soft orange glow of the winter sun as it slowly descended behind the block of flats cast a warm light across the flat terrain. Temperatures were still freezing, even though it looked like summer outside. Nestled in the heartland of Londons suburbia, Dulwich is one of the few areas in the capital where you can still find green pastures and wide open spaces.

That was one of the main reasons why Clare Bernal had chosen Dulwich as the perfect location to rent her first property. The bubbly 22-year-old loved to come home to her flat to relax and watch TV after a hard day at work. Working as a beauty consultant at the exclusive Harvey Nichols store, Clares looks were crucial to her selling techniques. Even so much as a hair out of a place or a broken nail was frowned upon, so time to relax was important to her.

Harvey Nichols began life in 1813 as a small linen shop in a terraced house on the corner of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street in London. Over the years it became a hub for the rich and famous. It is the place to see and be seen as much as to shop. Among the rails of designer clothes and expensive perfumes, theres usually an array of Prada-clad women closing in on their latest purchase.

In February 2005 Clare Bernal had been eating her sandwich in the Harvey Nichols staff canteen when she looked up and noticed one of the security guards staring at her. Not wanting to draw his attention, she looked down immediately, sensing herself blush. He was not bad looking but she was not interested in him. Within seconds, the man approached her. He asked her if he could take a seat next to her, knowing full well the table was empty. Ive seen you around, he told her as he pulled up a chair, looking at her intensely. You work at La Prairies counter?

Clare nodded her head coyly. It was obvious he was a security guard from the uniform he was wearing. But not wanting to appear rude, she asked then him the same question back. That was the way Clare was. Always kind and good-natured she didnt have it in her to tell this man to leave her alone. Even if that was what she was secretly thinking. My names Michael, he explained before taking a deep breath and adding in his gravely Czech accent, I think youre beautiful.

Clare was taken aback by his overfriendliness. She wondered if that was how men asked women out in Czech Republic, which was where he said he came from. They do have a very different culture over there. After a long awkward pause, she got up from the table and said goodbye. OK, Clare, see you around, he laughed, as she walked away.

That night, as Clare thought more and more about this man, she began to wonder if perhaps he was attractive after all. He was a bit rough around the edges, but he had a sensitive twinkle in his eye. There were so many security guards at the swish department store that this man had gone unnoticed. Not any more. The next morning, as she got ready for work, she took extra care to apply her blusher and style her gorgeous long auburn hair just in case she saw him. Michael Pech was on duty that day and had already planned his next move to try and win the attention of that striking-looking beauty assistant.

Hi gorgeous, he whispered to Clare as she walked in for work at 9 am. She blushed and smiled at him demurely. Later that day, they began talking again and Michael Pech asked her out for dinner. Clare agreed and a few days later, Clare and 30-year-old Pech went out on a date to a restaurant in central London. Clare was a traditional girl at heart. She liked to be wined and dined and Pech had obviously sensed this and was happy to oblige. They talked at great length about their lives.

Clare found out he was born in Chomutov, one of the roughest cities in the Czech Republic. It was notorious for its toxic power stations and rundown streets and properties. Hed escaped by joining the army at 15 and, after a stint at the American embassy in Bratislava, hed married a girl called Michala whom hed been dating for seven years. But like many Czechs, he was restless and attracted to life in Britain. Michala stayed behind in their homeland when he moved to London in 2003, and thats when he got the job as a security guard at Harvey Nichols, and where he was to meet Clare.

Her past was not as colourful as Michael Pechs. Shed grown up in Kent and came from a close-knit family. The couple shared a few dates after that, but Clare soon began having second thoughts about the Czech. She opened her heart to her mum Tricia one night and explained that shed met a man but she was not in love with him. She even said he was a possessive type and he made her feel stifled. So, just a few weeks after their first date together, Clare was seriously considering ending their relationship.

It was a common scenario in which a young woman gets involved in a relationship which fizzles out very fast. Clare just wasnt interested in a heavy relationship and wanted to enjoy being single before she settled down. There was too much fun to be had with her girlfriends back in Kent. Clare always looked forward to going home to Tunbridge Wells to catch up with her friends at the weekend. She had many memorable nights out in the bars around the area with her best friend Nicola Bates, who was also aged 22.