A 31-year-old man will spend the next 16 weeks in jail after he was convicted of stalking.

Jimmy Brazil, of Haddon, Great Holm, Milton Keynes, was also given a two-year restraining order in relation to the victim at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, July 4.

Brazil pleaded guilty to one count of stalking - causing fear of violence at the same hearing.

At around 2pm on Monday, June 24, Brazil followed a woman in her 40s, who was walking on her own at Lodge Lake in Loughton, for 40 minutes despite not knowing her.

He then hid in bushes and jumped out at her.

The woman then took detours of her usual walk in an attempt to lose him but he continued to follow her until she finally got away by walking back to her vehicle.

When doing so, he sniffed her as she walked past.

Brazil was arrested on Tuesday, July 2 and charged on Wednesday, July 3.

The victim said: “I would advise all women to report any similar incident that may happen to them.

“I did not expect anything to come out of the police report I made, and was shocked when they found the man who did this.

“I am very happy with the police investigation, the updates and the sentence he received.

“It has encouraged me to report crimes to the police going forward.”

Investigating officer PC Paige Barker, of the neighbourhood policing team for Milton Keynes South, based at Milton Keynes police station, said: “Jimmy Brazil is a dangerous and prolific offender.

“He targeted a lone woman going about her daily life, scaring her to the point that she will not go back to Lodge Lake.

“Brazil was arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced within three days, just over a week after his offending, which illustrates how we will not tolerate stalking in all of its forms.

“This sentence is a reflection of the impact Brazil has had, and I hope brings some closure to the victim.”