Inside Cheryl’s stalker hell and how convicted killer got caught after Liam’s funeral

After being stalked by a convicted murderer, Cheryl is now facing a new nightmare while she is grieving the loss of her ex-boyfriend Liam Payne.

The Girls Aloud singer, 41, has endured immense heartbreak in recent months, with the tragic death of the father of her child, One Direction singer Liam. Adding to her agony, she has secretly been terrorised by a stalker.

Daniel Bannister, who was convicted of killing a man, became “fixated” on the star. Bannister, 49, of no fixed address, was jailed for 30 months in 2012 for the manslaughter of his neighbour, Rajendra Patel, at a homeless hostel in Croydon. He was jailed again in September for four months after being found to be “displaying fixated, obsessive, unwanted and repetitive behaviour” towards Cheryl, and causing her “serious alarm”.

Bannister was given a three-year restraining order and banned from contacting Cheryl, entering Buckinghamshire, or attending her address. But on December 10, just weeks after Liam’s funeral, he returned to the home she shares with her seven-year-old son, Bear. After allegedly showing up at a location where he “knew or believed Cheryl Tweedy was present,” he was charged with breaking his restraining order.

Bannister also made an attempt to get in touch with the Fight For This Love singer, which he had previously been prohibited from doing. He admitted guilt to the three separate offenses in December, according to The Sun, and he will now spend time in prison before receiving a sentence on January 30.

After assaulting Rajendra Patel at a south London YMCA homeless shelter in 2012, Bannister admitted to manslaughter at Kingston Crown Court. Mr. Patel went back to the hospital on March 9 after an attack in February of the same year. He tragically passed away shortly after. His death was ruled to have involved a left ankle fracture, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis of the left thermeral vein.

Bannister, who at the time was 37, had been due to go on trial for the murder of Mr Patel – but the CPS lowered the charge to manslaughter. The two people who were staying at the homeless shelter allegedly had a long history of animosity toward one another when the attack occurred. As he attempted to get a lift, Bannister kicked and punched his victim, according to CCTV footage.

Speaking in 2012, His Honour Judge Nicholas Price said as he jailed Bannister: “This is a tragic case. You didn’t intend to cause any serious bodily harm, let alone death, when you attacked Mr. Patel. The attack, however, goes far beyond just one punch; it lasts for at least 30 to 40 seconds. Although it is obvious that you pose no threat to the public, you must likely receive a custodial sentence right away.

Bear, who tragically lost his father to a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony on October 16, has been bravely facing her terrifying stalking ordeal. And unbeknown to the public, just months before her ex Liam’s Payne’s sudden death, in March 2023, Cheryl reportedly increased her personal security to protect herself from a stalker ordeal.

Her team was reportedly on “red alert” after receiving ‘disgusting’ messages with flowers from outside the theater during her time in the West End production of 2: 22 A Ghost Story. Cheryl continued to work after that, and she joined her bandmates to go on national tour dates in May and June.

It’s not the first time the singer has been targeted by stalkers, as one bombarded her with “nasty” messages in 2019. After receiving a string of enraging notes, she claimed the stalker had made her life hell, and she was forced to step up security in at the time.

She previously told The Sun On Sunday: “I’ve had the same person constantly sending me weird messages, and nasty things said. You never know, so I now have protection for big things. Obviously fame isn’t always perfect”.

Liam, Cheryl’s ex and father to their son Bear, plunged to his death at the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. His body was discovered on a patio inside, and initial reports claimed he had suffered “severe injuries that were incompatible with life.” On Wednesday, Liam’s medical cause of death was confirmed as polytrauma by Dr Roberto Victor Cohen at a UK inquest. Multiple injuries that affect multiple organ systems are described by the term.

Cheryl made an emotional statement about Liam’s passing by posting an unreleased photo of him and Bear on Instagram. She begged for Liam to be treated with kindness and respect because she highlighted the harsh reality that both she and Bear face. She said: “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven-year-old son. A son who is now faced with the reality of never seeing his father again.

Source: Mirror