Stalker who forced Strictly influencer Joe Sugg and partner Dianne Buswell to flee home amid 'terrifying' four-year stalking campaign is jailed

Strictly star Joe Sugg was forced to flee his home after he was subjected to a ‘terrifying’ four–year stalking campaign by an obsessed fan.US–born Robert Beckman, 31, bombarded the popular vlogger and YouTuber with emails, social media comments and personal letters in a stalking blitz which began in 2022.Beckman sent numerous messages from multiple different locations in a four–year crusade.Today, he was jailed for 21 months after a court heard he had left the celebrity ‘terrified’ for his and his family’s safety.The court heard Beckman believed Sugg was sending subliminal messages directly to him via his YouTube posts through innocuous actions such as drinking a cup of hot chocolate.He also believed one hidden message contained a clear instruction for him to travel from the US to the UK.Beckman travelled from his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan to the UK and arrived in London.Once in London he made his way to Sugg’s city apartment and, after gaining access to the building, he pushed a folder of documents and letters under the door. US–born Robert Beckman (pictured) bombarded Joe Sugg with emails, social media comments and personal letters in a stalking blitz which began in 2022 Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell during their time on Strictly Come Dancing. The couple have been dating since 2018 Sugg found the folder when he returned home and Beckman was arrested by police, told not to contact Sugg again and issued with a police warning.Despite returning to the US the stalking campaign began again with a barrage of letters continuing to arrive at Sugg’s address.A court was told Sugg was left ‘terrified’ and ‘exhausted’ by the stalking campaign.He said he had even been forced to move out from his rural home for a week over fears the stalker could turn up on his doorstep.In a victim impact statement read to court Sugg said: ‘It has been so mentally exhausting over the years. Mr Beckman is clearly not mentally well.‘I was frustrated and concerned and it worried me that despite never responding to him he would continue to contact me.’Lewes Crown Court heard the 35–year–old YouTube star became increasingly ‘concerned and frustrated’ by the constant messages and letters and had to change his lifestyle and the way he worked.He also had to ensure he removed all personal details from each post to ensure he had not jeopardised his own safety and that of his family. Sugg and Buswell together at an event in March 2023. Sugg said he had even been forced to move out from his rural home for a week over fears the stalker could turn up on his doorstepHe said: ‘This has all affected my work. I would be very anxious and triple–check my work to make sure Mr Beckman would not misinterpret it.‘It caused increased stress and anxiety. Some of the content was sexual in nature and I was worried about what would happen if this man ever came to the UK.’‘I felt totally helpless and spent countless sleepless nights worrying and trying to figure out how this could be resolved.’He said the letters would sometimes stop for a few months only to start up causing further ‘anxiety and stress.’‘I felt I could worry less and get back to my usual self,’ he said. ‘But that silence was shattered by more letters.’Although he was never personally threatened, Sugg became fearful for his own safety and that of his partner, Strictly dancer, Dianne Buswell.As the couple prepared to welcome the birth of their son, the frequency of letters escalated once again and Beckman told Sugg he planned to travel to the UK again.In a final letter he told Sugg he planned to stay at Hilton London Gatwick and said the YouTuber could meet him at the hotel.Beckman sent details of his flight showing his plans to arrive at Gatwick on August 25 and check into the hotel. Beckman outside Lewes Crown Court on Thursday. The court heard Beckman believed Sugg was sending subliminal messages directly to him via his YouTube posts through innocuous actions such as drinking a cup of hot chocolateLewes Crown Court heard Sugg and his family were forced to flee and stay with relatives for a week as a result.In the statement Sugg said: ‘I was terrified that he was staying in a hotel that was very close to our home.’Sugg contacted police and officers were there to meet Beckman on his arrival and he was arrested.He was charged with stalking which had caused serious alarm and distress to Sugg to such an extent it had a substantial adverse effect on his usual day–to–day activitiesBeckman was also charged with failing to hand over to investigators a key or passcode for his iPhone 13.The American pleaded guilty to both charges when he appeared before Brighton Crown Court last month.Sentencing him to 21 months in prison, Judge Stephen Mooney said it was clear Beckman suffered from mental health problems.He said: ‘You may have had no unpleasant intentions but Mr Sugg had no way of knowing that. He had no way of knowing whether you were a fantasist or a genuine threat and that is why this is so serious.’Judge Mooney added that the stalking campaign has an ‘insidious and corrosive effect’ which had permeated their everyday life.He said: ‘You were told to stop but you simply didn’t and repeatedly and unexpectedly sent messages that he [Sugg] found alarming to him and his family.’The judge said: ‘It appears your mental health was not good and I am deeply saddened that your depression and anxiety led you to make an attempt on your life.‘The fact of that incident is a clear indication that you suffer from poor mental health and I am sure this contributed to the offending you have admitted.’Beckman, who wore a grey sweatshirt and dark trousers in court, was supported in court by his mother and father. He was impassive as the sentence was imposed.Judge Mooney told Beckman he would be deported on his release from prison and also imposed a restraining order preventing him from returning to the UK for ten years.Sugg rose to fame in the 2010s as part of the British YouTube squad, lives with his partner, professional dancer Dianne Buswell, 37, in a large house near Brighton, East Sussex.In March this year they welcomed their first child together – a baby son, Bowden.The couple struck up a romance when they were paired together during the 16th series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.Earlier this year Dianne gave birth to a baby boy named Bowden and she was the first professional in Strictly’s history to compete while pregnant, before her partner Stefan Dennis was forced to pull out due to injury in 2025.Sugg’s sister, Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella, and her partner Alfie Deyes are also YouTube sensations though they have vanished almost entirely from social media.Fans maintain hope, pointing to Alfie’s sporadic Instagram posts as proof that the couple, who soared to fame as ‘vloggers’ in 2012, would return to their regularly scheduled programming.However, their YouTube channels have remained silent with Deyes’ last post ten months ago.