OLYMPIA — A man who recruited his friends to follow an ex-girlfriend and file written reports about her activities was correctly convicted of stalking, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
In a 6-3 decision, the high court reinstated the conviction of Andre Paul Becklin, who was convicted in Ferry County Superior Court of using several friends to follow his ex-girlfriend, Mary Alison McGee. Becklin was sentenced to a year in prison, but his conviction was overturned by the state Court of Appeals.
The Supreme Court’s majority, led by Justice Bobbe Bridge, said Thursday that the definition of stalking “is broad enough to encompass the act of directing third parties to follow and intimidate a victim.”
Bridge was joined by Justices Susan Owens, Mary Fairhurst, Barbara Madsen, James Johnson and Tom Chambers.
Mike Sandona, the Ferry County prosecutor, said the court’s ruling was important.
“It stops people like Mr. Becklin, who has friends do the things he can’t do, disturb the peace of his ex,” he said. “It’s is an issue of fear and control over another person.”
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