British man accused of stalking US influencer to Bali with rope in suitcase tells jury his 'creepy' unanswered messages were a 'joke' and claims she 'was trying to get my attention'

An alleged stalker who travelled to Bali with enactment successful his suitcase contiguous claimed helium was conscionable being 'playful' erstwhile helium made videos astir abducting an American question influencer.

Rob Keating told a tribunal that a video helium sent to Alexandra Saper, 33, successful which helium mentioned 'kidnap ' was conscionable him being an 'idiot' and it was 'stupid'.

The 39-year-old added that helium could not 'for the beingness of him' archer that influencer , who lived connected the tropical Indonesian island, would instrumentality the threats seriously, particularly arsenic his Instagram leafage featured jokes from the drama movie Anchorman.

Instead, helium said she was the 1 trying to get his attention.

A tribunal has heard that the British postulation manager sent Ms Saper hundreds of emails earlier buying a one-way summons to Bali - wherever she lived - successful January 2023 to sojourn her, going to cafés conscionable metres from her home.

These included a connection successful which helium said helium would similar to 'go 50 Shades of Grey connected you'.

Giving grounds contiguous astatine Portsmouth Crown Court, Hants, Keating talked astir 1 video helium sent wherever helium mentioned 'the Spartan Queen kidnap show' - a nickname helium had fixed her.

'I was conscionable being an idiot really,' helium said, saying that an Instagram station she past made suggested she had watched his.

'I was being me, it was conscionable a spot of stupidity.

'The kidnap came from erstwhile I said 'I privation to travel to Bali and walk the remainder of my beingness with you, if that means kidnap past truthful beryllium it', due to the fact that of the discourse of my Instagram which has Ron Burgundy jokes I could not for the beingness of maine archer she would instrumentality immoderate of this seriously, the full kidnap thing.'

Former lawyer Ms Saper present earns a surviving from her Instagram leafage 'The Wayfaress' which has implicit 100,000 followers. 

The tribunal has antecedently heard that she described Keating as 'someone who is profoundly obsessed' and 'mentally ill' aft helium sent her a connection pursuing his accomplishment connected the land successful which helium referred to himself arsenic a 'serial killer'.

She spoke of her ordeal successful a video she posted from Laos, the state she escaped to, which was shown to a jury.

In it she said:  'I privation you to ideate what it feels similar to beryllium hunted similar prey.'

She said she was 'exhausted' aft 'being tally retired of (her) location successful Indonesia'.

But Keating told jurors astatine Portsmouth Crown Court today: 'It was conscionable playful ridiculousness, stupidity, I didn't deliberation successful a cardinal years she would bash what she did.

'It was conscionable maine being myself a bit.'

Keating denied stalking Ms Saper and claimed it was her trying to get his attraction not the different mode round.

'From the precise opening she had been trying to get my attraction and came up with an elaborate mode to support the concern going,' helium said.

'I bash not judge this caused her immoderate adverse effects, I bash not cognize what her crippled has been.

'I thought this miss understood me.

'She got maine to Bali, I went to marque myself disposable to her.

'I had nary volition of causing her immoderate harm astatine all, I thought she was looking for thing serious.'

He besides claimed that aft Ms Saper made a video astir her stalker, which helium was tagged successful by commenters, helium received threats himself and had to permission the island.

The postulation manager told the tribunal helium is simply a 'simp', net slang for idiosyncratic who shows 'excessive attention' to different person, and claimed helium went to Bali to 'make himself available' for Ms Saper.

Keating's mentation for the enactment recovered successful his suitcase was that it came from his camera kit, utilized to connect a microphone basal to a tripod.

Keating is accused of sending 'incessant' messages to Ms Saper. 

After helium was blocked connected her Instagram leafage helium began emailing her and utilized an aged relationship to proceed to presumption her posts, which helium believed were signals to him.

Keating is simply a postulation idiosyncratic who was surviving successful his sister's store successful Havant, Hampshire, astatine the clip of the alleged offences.

The tribunal heard that helium had worked successful London arsenic an accountant for implicit a decennary but discontinue his occupation to enactment connected a caller subject of 'transformational psychology'

He has pleaded not blameworthy to 2 counts of stalking involving superior alarm oregon distress.

The tribunal heard helium sent hundreds of emails and astir 30 video messages to the influencer betwixt August 2022 and January 2023.

After his accomplishment connected the island, helium messaged her: 'I would truly similar to spot you - bring information if you must', helium said, and 'I didn't travel present expecting to leap into furniture with you'.

Police recovered achromatic rope, which was shown to the jury, successful his suitcase erstwhile helium was arrested connected his instrumentality to the UK successful March 2023.

The tribunal heard that Keating posted a screenshot of a level summons from Heathrow to Bali connected his societal media with the caption 'round two' successful October 2024.

Ms Saper informed constabulary helium had done this, and helium was subsequently arrested successful the municipality centre successful Horsham, West Sussex.

The proceedings continues.