Taylor Swift’s “obsessed” stalker sentenced to 30 months in jail
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic After pleading guilty to stalking and making threats against Taylor Swift, a federal judge has sentenced Eric Swarbrick to two and a half years in prison. Forbes reports that, in 2018, a then-26-year-old Sw…
By ABC Audio on September 17, 2020
After pleading guilty to stalking and making threats against Taylor Swift, a federal judge has sentenced Eric Swarbrick to two and a half years in prison.
Forbes reports that, in 2018, a then-26-year-old Swarbrick began deluging Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records and CEO Scott Borchetta, with letters in emails asking if he could meet the “Me” singer. However, his correspondences became increasingly sinister by threatening rape and violence against Swift.
Prosecutors say Swarbrick drove from his hometown of Austin, Texas, to Nashville to personally deliver his threats on at least three occasions and even managed to gain entry into the building.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department arrested Swarbrick on August 2, 2018 after he was found walking the label’s halls and Swift filed for a restraining order.
Following the arrest, Swarbrick began threatening in his letters that he would rape and murder Swift before taking his own life in front of Borchetta and his staff.
Swarbrick pleaded guilty to stalking and for sending threatening letters. He was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison and will serve three additional years of supervised release.
According to KVUE, Swarbrick was a former school bus driver for the Eanes Independent School District, but was terminated by his employer in 2018 when it became aware of the reports.
Swift was left shaken by the incident and revealed to Elle in March 2019 that she fears for her safety, telling the magazine, “My fear of violence has continued into my personal life. I carry QuikClot army grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds.”
“Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I’ve ever had online,” she continued. “You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”
Megan Stone
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