A dental nurse who struck up a relationship with a widowed dentist launched a terrifying stalking campaign against him after they split.
Sophie Colwill fitted a tracking device to David Pagliero’s car, bombarded him with phone calls, and managed to gain access to his house so she could wait forhim in his bedroom, a court heard.
Dr Pagliero, 54, eventually ended up contacting police and Colwill was arrested.
She pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress and on Thursday received a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Colwill and Dr Pagliero were working together at the Smile Dental Centre in Exeter, Devon when their relationship started, reports The Daily Mail.
Dr Pagliero said he had sought ‘companionship’ following the death of his wife and mother of his two teenage children, Sharon in 2021.
In a victim impact statement, he described Colwill as being ‘a tonic and nice’ when they got together.
But in May, after the pair separated, the 30-year-old embarked on her stalking campaign, the court heard.
Dr Pagliero noticed that she would turn up at various locations he’d driven to, such as a service station when he was buying petrol.
She eventually handed him a tracker she had attached to the car, but when he tried to talk to her about it she ‘became distressed and had a melt down’.
One night, at 2am, Dr Pagliero, found Colwill in his own, bedroom ‘without permission’.
Prosecutor Alistair Verheijen said: ‘She went for his mobile phone and there was a tug of war.’
The court heard an audio recording from when she entered his bedroom where the victim could be heard shouting ‘help, help, help’.
Colwill, of Ottery St Mary, then fled through a window of the £1.35m property.
She also harassed him by phone, making 965 calls to him in a single day and then more than 1,000 calls the following day.
Dr Pagliero said he was constantly worried she was following him and hiding in bushes by his driveway.
He said he was left on ‘tenterhooks’ because ‘you will be there somewhere’.
The stalking had a ‘huge impact’ on him ‘
But he implored the judge to be ‘kind to Sophie’ and said he tried to help her but realised now that was not possible.
Dr Pagliero said he did not want vengeance, adding: ‘I never wanted that. But your actions wore me down’.’
Peter Seigne, defending said Colwill had been left ‘fragile’ by the whole experience and was ‘incredibly distressed and finding it difficult to cope’.
She wept in the court as Mr Seigne explained how the conviction could affect her career – as she faces potential disciplinary action from the General Dental Council.
He said Colwill found the end of the relationship very difficult and she was incredibly distressed, but knows the relationship is over.
She was also made subject of a five-year restraining order banning her from contacting Dr Pagliero or going to his home or dental surgery.
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