Harry Styles stalker ‘broke restraining order’ with One Direction music video posted on Facebook

Harry Styles
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Harry Stylesstalker broke his restraining order by posting pictures of the singer and a One Direction music video on Facebook, a court heard today.  

Pablo Tarazaga-Orero, 27, was banned from contacting Styles after following the star around in a stalking campaign in summer 2019.  

The Standard revealed earlier this month how Tarazaga-Orero is now accused of breaking the terms of the restraining order just before Christmas last year, with a series of social media posts.  

“The victim is Harry Styles, who is a popular singer and member of the well-known boyband One Direction”, prosecutor Shaan Sethi said today.  

“The defendant pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Mr Styles.  

“He turned up at his home address almost on a daily basis, followed him around, and had a substantial effect on his day-to-day activities, changing his daily routine and making safety changes.”  

Highbury Corner magistrates court heard Tarazaga-Orero was sent for rehab sessions after his stalking conviction, but therapists were unhappy with his progress which was ranked “not good enough”.  

Mr Sethi said Tarazaga-Orero allegedly made contact with Styles between December 18 and 24 last year.  

“He continued to post on a Facebook account - and another Facebook account linked to him -  images and media relating to Harry Styles”, he said.  

The alleged posts, containing a One Direction music video and pictures of Styles, were flagged to police by a fan of the singer.  

Outlining the defence case, Mr Sethi told the court: “The defendant alleges he was having legitimate and consensual conversations with Mr Styles in the past month, and that gave him in his belief a reasonable excuse to breach the restraining order.”

Tarazaga-Orero, who appeared in court this on Monday afternoon, has been set free on conditional bail until his trial later this year.  

He remains banned from going within 250m of Styles, attending concert halls and business premises the singer might be at, and making any contact with the star including through social media.  

Styles told a 2019 trial how he had first spotted Tarazaga-Orero sleeping rough at a bus stop and stopped to offer money to get food or a hotel.

“I thought it was sad that someone so young was sleeping rough at a bus stop when it was cold”, the singer said.  

Tarazaga-Orero asked if he could have some edamame beans because he is vegan, and the following day Styles returned with two sandwiches, two salads, and two muffins from a vegan café.  

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Harry Styles attends the Burberry Prorsum show at London Fashion Week SS14 at Kensington Gardens on September 16, 2013 in London, England.

However the singer said he found Tarazaga-Orero’s behaviour “odd”, leaving him feeling “unsafe or uneasy” at home and reassessing his personal security.  

Tarazaga-Orero remained camped out near to the star’s home, followed Styles to the pub, and posted £49.95 in change through his letterbox, the court heard.  

“I never really encountered this kind of behaviour before”, Styles told the court. “I’ve employed a night guard. I continue to lock my bedroom door at night.”

Tarazaga-Orero was sentenced to a 12-month community order including rehab sessions.  

The court heard today how he had engaged in the rehab programme but “progress with that hasn’t been good enough”.  

Tarazaga-Orero is now under a 9pm to 6am curfew in the terms of his bail. He has pleaded not guilty plea to a charge of breaching a restraining order, under the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act, and is due to stand trial on June 4.  

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