Jailed: Stalker who faked her ‘kidnap’ with bogus crime scene in Whitechapel
Stalker jailed after faking her kidnapping in Whitechapel. Picture: Met Police - Credit: MPS
A woman who carried out a prolonged campaign of stalking and faked her own kidnap in Whitechapel has been jailed today for four-and-a-half years.
Jessica Nordquist, a 26-year-old American living in Cavell Street, was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on two charges of stalking as well as perverting justice and malicious communications.
Her family, friends and her victim from work received an email on April 19 claiming she had been kidnapped and raped, with photographs showing her naked, bound and gagged. More emails were sent claiming her “kidnappers” had broken her fingers.
A crime scene was set up at her flat near the Royal London Hospital where a ‘kidnap’ note was pinned to her front door.
Officers from Tower Hamlets Community Safety unit and Scotland Yard’s Kidnap unit launched a full-scale operation to find her.
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She was traced two days later more than 400 miles away, safe and well, in a B&B at Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands.
Nordquist gave a false name and quickly discarded two mobile phones in a toilet bin when officers took her to see a doctor to make sure she was fit to be detained.
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She was arrested on suspicion of stalking and returned to London to be charged with stalking and perverting justice.
Nordquist had carried out a persistent campaign of cyber stalking against a male colleague at work with text messages and emails, making false allegations to destroy his reputation and making malicious communications against her then-employer.
She appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on April 23 and denied all charges.
“Nordquist has shown to be a compulsive liar and deeply manipulative throughout the investigation and her trial,” Det Con Joanne Farrell said.
“She pursued a relentless stalking campaign that led to faking her own kidnap and assault which caused distress and embarrassment to her victim, his colleagues and her own family.
“But her actions diverted police resources from real victims of crime. Her clumsy attempts to cover her tracks by ‘hiding in plain sight’ ultimately led to her conviction.”
Nordquist was first issued with a harassment warning in January, but was arrested two days later when officers found sim cards for different mobile phone networks at her Whitechapel flat.
She had created 20 Instagram accounts “for the sole purpose of harassing the victim”.
