A woman has told of her horrific experience after an obsessed co-worker harassed her, broke into her house carrying seven extra lubricating condoms in his pants and even threatened to rape her and “blow her boyfriend’s head off”.
Grace Smith, 31, “feared for her life” and began practicing jiu jitsu for self-defense after being bombarded for months with abusive messages from Karl Chads, 42, who began threatening her after she rejected his advances.
The London offers writer spoke about feeling unsafe in her own home during her terror campaign.
In June 2024, Chads was sentenced to 13 years in prison for stalking with fear of violence, as well as robbery, criminal damage and breaking and entering with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence. The judge described it as “dangerous.”
Grace met her stalker for the first time in October 2022, when Chads, then 40 years old, joined her workplace.
She thought he was “a little weird” and they occasionally chatted during Microsoft Teams meetings.
“He had a robotic demeanor and there was something weird about him,” Grace explained.
“I joked to a colleague that he was probably a serial killer.”
Grace Smith, 31, (pictured) ‘feared for her life’ and began practicing jiu jitsu for self-defence after being bombarded for months with abusive messages from Karl Chads, 42, who began threatening her afterwards that she rejected his advances.
A woman has told of her horrific experience after an obsessed co-worker harassed her, broke into her house carrying seven extra lubricating condoms in his pants and even threatened to rape her and “blow her boyfriend’s head off”. Chads pictured trying to get in
In June 2024, Chads (pictured) was sentenced to 13 years in prison for stalking with fear of violence, as well as robbery, criminal damage and breaking and entering with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence. The judge called him ‘dangerous’
Chads confessed that he had feelings for her. Grace “wanted to let him down gently,” so she explained that while she was flattered, she was in a relationship. “With that I received a barrage of insults,” he revealed. Pictured are screenshots of messages from Chads to Grace.
She soon realized that Chads “always had something to say” and often interrupted his female colleagues.
Seven months later, in May 2023, they both attended a work meeting in Birmingham and Grace noticed that he was telling what appeared to be “strange” lies as they boarded the same train back to London and chatted.
“For the next hour and a half we sat together,” he explained. ‘Interestingly, he boasted of being upper class and told me he bought his suits on Saville Row.
He then talked about winning a boxing match years before. But when I pressed him, he failed to respond with any details.
“I suspected it was all lies.”
Two months later, at a team building day, Grace noticed Chads staring at her for long periods of time.
Pictured: Broken glass at Grace’s house after Chads broke in. Her house was completely ransacked and she also arrived to “break pipes.”
Grace discovered that Chads had resigned from his workplace. But interestingly, things only got worse when a package from her stalker arrived at her house the following week.
In December 2023, she was horrified once again after a second parcel of Chads was delivered to her home. This time it was a bouquet of red roses.
Pictured: Chads’ second letter to Grace along with a bouquet of roses, stating that the couple has “chemistry.”
Chads accused Grace of being an “underdog” type after she rejected his advances in messages.
Pictured: Messages from Chads to Grace, after she rejected his advances and told him she had a boyfriend.
In October 2023, the team received afternoon tea at The Ritz for winning a contract and the topic of dating apps came up.
“I explained to my colleagues that that’s how I met my boyfriend, Daryl,” Grace said. ‘I noticed Karl’s face shrink. He seemed disappointed.
Then the following week, Chads asked for her personal number to keep in touch while he was on a training course, and she sent him the number.
Two days later, Chads confessed that he had feelings for her.
Grace “wanted to let him down gently,” so she explained that while she was flattered, she was in a relationship.
“With that, I received an avalanche of insults,” she revealed, with Chads calling her a “bottom guy” and accusing her of “cheating on him.”
Grace called her boyfriend, 34, for advice and he assured her it would all pass soon, but the next morning, Chads posted a private chat he and Grace had on a shared work platform.
Mortified, she complained to her manager and sent him screenshots of her abusive messages.
On the doorbell camera Chads can be seen kicking the door, before bursting through the bathroom window.
A nervous Grace took safety measures, such as installing a doorbell camera and practicing martial arts with Daryl. Grace and Daryl photographed together
Meanwhile, Chads continued to bombard Grace with calls and texts.
Horrified, Grace contacted the police and an officer came to take her statement, but was told all they could do was charge him with malicious communications if the contact did not stop.
Chads’ campaign of abuse did not end: his messages continued even when she flew to Prague to attend her cousin’s wedding.
He even made a defamatory post on LinkedIn, attempting to sabotage her work.
“Back home, terrified for my safety, Daryl moved out,” Grace revealed.
‘Together we visited the police station and reported all of Karl’s messages. An officer confirmed that charges would be filed against him.
Shortly afterward, Grace discovered that Chads had resigned from his workplace.
But chillingly, things only got worse when a package from her stalker arrived at her house the following week.
In June 2024, Grace testified against Chads on his birthday. During the trial, the court showed items found in Chads
Inside was an Alexander McQueen bag, along with a handwritten note. It read: “I thought we had the potential to develop a friendship and relationship one day.”
“I was terrified he would know my address,” she admitted. “I’m worried he might kidnap me.”
That night she reported him to the police. Hours later, Chads left her a voicemail begging her to talk to him.
It took police more than a week to gather evidence and Chads still had not been arrested.
A nervous Grace took safety measures, such as installing a doorbell camera and practicing martial arts with Daryl.
The horror of the situation was taking its toll on her: Grace was so stressed that her hair began to fall out.
In December of that year, she was horrified once again after a second parcel of Chads arrived at her home.
This time, it was a bouquet of red roses with another rambling letter saying “we both know we had chemistry between us.”
Grace reported him to officers again, but two weeks later, Chads called a hidden number. She yelled at him to leave her alone, but after repeated rings, Daryl answered.
“I pressed record on my phone and on speaker I heard Karl say, ‘I’m a gangster, I’ll rape her in front of you and blow your head off,'” he recalled.
“Fearing for our lives, we fled to Daryl’s house and begged the police for help.”
Over the next hour, Chads called more than forty times. In eight voicemails, he threatened to kill Grace and Daryl and rape Grace again. At 10 p.m., police called to inform them that Chads had broken into their home.
In the ring door camera Chads can be seen kicking the door, before entering through the bathroom window.
During the looting, he stole Grace’s teenage diary.
Terrifyingly, just a few hours later, at 3am, he tried to break in again.
In real time, Grace witnessed it on camera and called 999 – police arrested Chads at the scene.
His house was completely ransacked. It came to ‘burst pipes, broken windows’. Grace’s clothes were “torn and scattered around the garden.”
In June 2024, Grace testified against Chads on his birthday. During the trial, the court showed objects found in Chads.
In a backpack he carried two glasses, a bottle of wine and a fire key. Disgustingly, they found seven extra lubricating condoms in his pants.
The jury found Karl Chads guilty of stalking with fear of violence against Grace and Daryl, as well as robbery, criminal damage and breaking and entering with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence.
At Wood Green Crown Court, the judge branded Chads “dangerous” and jailed him for 13 years, granting him an indefinite restraining order.
“At his sentencing, I confronted him,” Grace said. ‘I bravely read my impact statement and took back control.
‘I now want to encourage other survivors of bullying to collect evidence and keep records. Listen to your instinct.
‘In the end, I was forced to take charge and fight for justice. And I won.’
She added: ‘During Karl’s harassment campaign I felt unsafe and feared for my life. Terrified that he might kidnap and rape me.
‘Knowing that he is now behind bars gives me some comfort. Fortunately he is no longer on the street and can’t hurt anyone else.