Grace Smith, 31, was stalked and assaulted by Carl Chaz, 42, a co-worker who threatened her life after she rejected his advances. Following months of harassment, including abusive messages and broken home invasions, Grace began practicing jiu-jitsu for self-defense. In June 2024, Chaz was sentenced to 13 years in prison for stalking, burglary, and related crimes. The judge deemed him a “dangerous person.” Grace, who took extensive safety measures, described her experience as traumatic but empowering, encouraging other victims to document their harassment and seek justice. She felt relief knowing Chaz could no longer threaten her or others.
A woman faces a terrifying ordeal after she was stalked by a persistent co-worker who invaded her home with seven spare lubricated condoms in his pants, then raped her and threatened to ‘blow her boyfriend’s head off’. said.
Grace Smith, 31, began practicing jiu-jitsu as a self-defense technique after receiving abusive messages from Carl Chaz, 42, after she “feared for her life”. Karl Chaz began threatening her after she rejected his advances.
A London bidder confessed that he felt unsafe at home during the terrorist activity.
In June 2024, Chados was sentenced to 13 years in prison for stalking with fear of violence, as well as burglary, criminal damage and trespassing with intent to commit related sexual offences. A judge labeled him a “dangerous person.”
Grace first encountered her stalker in October 2022, when Chaz, then 40, joined her workplace.
She thought he was “a bit of an oddball” and they would sometimes talk during Microsoft Teams meetings.
“He had a robotic demeanor and there was something off about him,” Grace explained.
“I joked to my co-workers that he was probably a serial killer.”
Grace Smith, 31 (pictured), “feared for her life” and turned to jiu-jitsu for self-defense after being bombarded with abusive messages from Carl Chaz, 42, over several months. I started practicing. Karl Chaz began threatening her after she rejected his advances.
A woman faces a terrifying ordeal after she was stalked by a persistent co-worker who invaded her home with seven spare lubricated condoms in his pants, then raped her and threatened to ‘blow her boyfriend’s head off’. said. Photo of Chad trying to break in
In June 2024, Chados (pictured) was sentenced to 13 years in prison for stalking with fear of violence, as well as burglary, criminal damage and trespassing with intent to commit related sex offences. The judge labeled him a ‘dangerous person’
Chaz confessed that he had feelings for her. Grace explained that they were in a relationship, albeit a flattering one, because she “wanted to let him down gently.” “So I got a barrage of insults,” she revealed. The photo is a screenshot of Chad’s message to Grace.
She soon noticed that Chad “always had something to say” and frequently interrupted his female colleagues.
Seven months later, in May 2023, the pair attended a work meeting in Birmingham, and Grace made small talk while riding the same train back to London when he made what she thought were “bizarre” lies. He pointed out that he kept talking about it.
“We sat together for the next hour and a half,” she explained. “Strangely, he boasted about being upper-class and told me he bought his suit on Savile Row.
Then he talked about winning a boxing match many years ago. But when I asked him, he wouldn’t answer any details.
“I suspected it was all a lie.”
Two months later, on a team-building day at work, Grace notices Chad staring at her for too long.
Photo: The glass in Grace’s home was broken after Chad broke in. Her home was thoroughly ransacked and she also arrived to “break the pipes.”
Grace finds out that Chaz has quit his job. But, horrifyingly, things escalated further the following week when a package from her stalker arrived at her home.
In December 2023, she felt fear again when a second package from Chad was delivered to her home. This time it was a bouquet of red roses.
Photo: Chad’s second letter to Grace and a bouquet of roses. He claims the two have “chemistry”
Chaz accused Grace of being a ‘downstairs type’ after rejecting her messages
Photo: Message from Chad to Grace. After she declines his invitation and tells him she has a boyfriend.
In October 2023, the team that won the contract was given afternoon tea at The Ritz, and the topic of dating apps was brought up.
“I explained to my co-workers that’s how I met my boyfriend Darryl,” Grace said. “I noticed that Karl’s face dropped. He looked disappointed.”
The following week, Chados asked for her personal number to keep in touch while she attended a training course, which she sent.
Two days later, Chados confessed that he had feelings for her.
Grace explained that they were in a relationship, albeit a flattering one, because she “wanted to let him down gently.”
“So I got a barrage of insults,” she revealed, with Chados going on to call her a “down the stairs type” and accuse her of “leading him on.”
Grace called her boyfriend, 34, for advice and he assured her that he would soon have a flat tire. But by the next morning, Chaz posted a private chat between him and Grace on their shared work platform.
Frustrated, she complained to her manager and sent screenshots of his abusive messages.
A Ring door camera shows Chad kicking down the bathroom door before entering through the window.
Upset, Grace takes safety measures, including installing a doorbell camera in her home and practicing martial arts with Daryl. Grace and Darryl take a photo together
During that time, Chad continued to call and text Grace.
Terrified, Grace contacted the police, who came to take her statement, but was told that if she did not stop contacting her, she would have to be charged with malicious communication.
Chad’s campaign of abuse never ended. Chad’s messages continued even after she flew to Prague to attend her cousin’s wedding.
He made defamatory posts on LinkedIn and tried to sabotage her work.
“When I got home, Darryl moved in because he was worried about my safety,” Grace revealed.
“We went to the police station together and reported all the messages from Karl. The officers confirmed that he would be charged.”
Shortly thereafter, Grace learned that Chaz had quit his job.
But to her horror, things escalated the following week when a package from her stalker arrived at her home.
In June 2024, Grace gives evidence against Chad on his birthday. During the trial, the court was shown items found in Chad
Inside was an Alexander McQueen wallet and a handwritten note. It read, “I thought we might someday develop into a friendship or relationship.”
“I was scared that he knew my address,” she admitted. “I’m afraid he’ll kidnap me.”
That night, she called the police. A few hours later, Chad left her a voicemail begging to talk.
It took police more than a week to gather evidence, and Chad had not yet been arrested.
Upset, Grace takes safety measures, including installing a doorbell camera in her home and practicing martial arts with Daryl.
The frightening situation took its toll on her. Grace was so stressed that her hair started falling out.
In December of the same year, she felt fear again when a second package from Chad was delivered to her home.
This time it was accompanied by a bouquet of red roses and another rambling letter claiming: “I know there’s chemistry between us.”
Grace called the cops again, but two weeks later, Chad called her at an undisclosed number. She yelled at him to leave her alone, but after many rings, Daryl answered.
“I pressed record on my phone and on speaker, and I heard Carl saying, ‘I’m a gangster, I’m going to rape her in front of you and blow her head off,'” she recalled.
“Fearing for our lives, we ran to Darryl’s house and called the police for help.”
Over the next hour, Chad called me over 40 times. In eight voicemails, he threatened to kill Grace and Daryl and rape Grace again. At 10 p.m., police called and informed her that Chad had broken into her home.
Ring door cameras show Chad kicking down the door and then entering through the bathroom window.
During the looting, he stole Grace’s teenage diary.
To my horror, a few hours later at 3am, he tried to break in again.
In real time, Grace witnessed it on camera and called 999, and police arrested Chad at the scene.
Her house was thoroughly ransacked. She came to “break pipes and break windows.” Grace’s clothes were “torn and scattered across the yard.”
In June 2024, Grace gives evidence against Chad on his birthday. During the trial, the court was shown items found in Chad.
The backpack contained two glasses, a bottle of wine, and a fire key. Disgustingly, they found seven extra lube condoms in his pants.
The jury found Carl Chaz guilty of stalking Grace and Darryl with fear of violence, as well as trespassing with intent to commit robbery, criminal damage and related sex offences.
At Wood Green Crown Court, the judge branded Chad a “dangerous person” and sentenced him to 13 years in prison and an indefinite restraining order.
“When the sentence was handed down, I beat him,” Grace said. “You bravely read my impact statement and took back control.
“Now I would like to encourage other stalking victims to collate the evidence and keep a record. Listen to your gut.
“In the end, I was forced to take responsibility and fight for justice. And I won.”
She added:During Karl’s harassment campaign, I felt in danger and feared for my life. I was scared that he would kidnap me and rape me.
“It’s a little bit of a relief to know he’s now in prison. Thankfully, he’s off the street and can’t harm others.”