Stalker ‘who killed model’ would ‘stare at women through binoculars’

The neighbours of a stalker believed to have killed model Gracie Spinks in a murder-suicide have revealed he used binoculars to spy on women.

Michael Sellers’ neighbours describe how the "weird loner" would peer at neighbours from a window in his parents’ house, The Mirror reports.

Sellers, 35, is thought to have killed his former work colleague Gracie, 23, as she tended to her horse, Paddy.

Gracie was found near a farm in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, on Friday, June 18.

Shortly after her body was discovered, Sellers was found dead in fields half a mile away.

Gracie’s friends have said Sellers became obsessed with Gracie after the pair went on a date and he continued to approach her at the stables.

His neighbours have described his odd behaviour with one, who wished to remain anonymous, saying: "I found him a little strange. He would never speak or give you eye contact if he saw you in the street.

"He would spy on people from his ­parents’ home, especially women. I’m convinced I once caught him looking at me through a pair of binoculars.

"A friend told me she thought he ­followed her once. It was really creepy behaviour. He wasn’t a bad-looking lad – just odd. It’s terrible what happened."

Another neighbour said: "I always said he was a little strange. He’d never speak to anyone but just stare. It’s scary that someone living so close to us could have murdered a woman.

"I have a daughter and I’m glad he didn’t speak to her."

One of his co-workers said: "He was strange. He became very weird at work – staring at people. The women became wary of him. Hardly ­anyone liked him. He was a real loner."

Gracie and Sellers were work colleagues at the e-commerce firm Xbite Ltd in Chesterfield, but Sellers was fired from his warehouse job after becoming a ­"nuisance" to Gracie.

She contacted Derbyshire Police to say she was being stalked by Sellers, who are to be investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the contact they had with Gracie before her death.

One of Gracie’s work friends claimed that Gracie had taken a restraining order out against her stalker.

In a heartbreaking tribute, Gracie’s mum, Alison Heaton, wrote on Facebook: "My beautiful daughter Gracie taken away from me, her dad and brother and sister and everyone who loved and cared for her."

Mrs Heaton added broken heart and crying emojis and changed her Facebook profile picture to a photo of her daughter with a pink frame stating: "Stop violence against women, justice for women."

Mrs Heaton wants people to support a petition to be sent to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for a "Gracie’s Law" demanding harsher ­punishment for stalkers, especially those who threaten life.

The IOPC said: "We can confirm we are independently investigating the prior police contact between Gracie Spinks and Derbyshire Police.

"As our investigation is in its early stages, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Our thoughts remain with Gracie’s family, friends and anyone else affected by her death."

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