A stalker KILLED MY DAUGHTER

Alison Ward's life has changed irrevocablybut she won't stop fighting for change

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With her long, blonde hair and big, broad smile, my daughter, Gracie, could light up a room. She was talented too a brilliant swimmer and keen horse rider, and she was devoted to her horse, Paddy. She could paint, play the piano and with her powerful, melodic voice, she sounded just like Elaine Paige when she sang. I'd give anything to hear her sweet voice again, but my daughter's life was cut short in the cruellest way, and for the rest of us, life will never be the same.

In December 2020, Gracie, then 23, was working in a warehouse after being furloughed from her usual job as a swimming teacher. She loved spending time with me and her dad Richard, then 65, and she was so close to her siblings, Tom, 22, and Abbie, 15. One evening, we got the home karaoke machine out, and Gracie was having a great time singing On My Own from the musical Les Misérables, but then her phone beeped with a message and her face fell. Sitting beside me on the sofa, Gracie confided in me about her supervisor at work, Michael Sellers, then 35. They'd been on a couple of walks together but now he was bombarding her with messages and she just wasn't interested. I told her to be firm with him, so Gracie wrote a message politely and kindly explaining to Michael that she didn't have feelings for him.

Horrific discovery

We hoped that would be the end of it, but in January 2021, Gracie went to feed Paddy at the local farm where he was kept and called me in tears, explaining how she'd spotted Michael parked up nearby and it had really scared her. It seemed like Michael was obsessed with Gracie, so I urged her to report him at work, which Gracie did before also reporting him to police and blocking him from her phone and social media.

Michael was suspended from work and over the next few months, a friend or relative accompanied Gracie whenever she went to see Paddy. When she didn't hear any more from Michael, we were all relieved.