Cheryl Tweedy made her first public appearance since her ex Liam Payne’s funeral and her stalking hell. Last month, Cheryl’s stalker, Daniel Bannister, 50, was sentenced to one year in prison after being found guilty of breaching a previous restraining order.
It was the third jail term handed to Bannister over his attempts to contact the Girls Aloud singer, 42. He was also handed a lifetime restraining order. He left Cheryl “stunned” and “terrified” when he turned up at her Buckinghamshire home for a fourth time in June, Reading Crown Court heard.
Following her difficult year, Cheryl attended the Hadestown Gala Night on Wednesday 1 October, alongside Kimberley Walsh, to support Girls Aloud bandmate and close friend Nicola Roberts, who is starring in the West End musical until the end of January next year.
Cheryl looked stylish in an autumnal ensemble at the Lyric Theatre in London, donning a brown suit with a darker brown coat over the top.
After her stalker was sentenced last month, Cheryl’s prosecution barrister, Leandra Smith, read out an impact statement and said the singer was “stunned” when Bannister turned up at her home near Chalfont, Bucks, for a fourth time on the evening of June 19 this year.
She said: “He’s been sentenced twice for this unwanted and scary behaviour toward me. Every time I leave my property I have to constantly look over my shoulder. No person should feel this way. The fear goes when he’s in prison.
“It’s had a huge impact – I have a young child to protect. It has made my young child scared. I have had to rely on security, family and friends for support. Why should I have to move because of Daniel’s behaviour? It’s unacceptable, terrifying and having a detrimental impact.”
Cheryl has been dealing with her stalker while also processing the tragic death of her ex Liam Payne, after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16 last year.
Liam’s official cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries (polytrauma) resulting from the fall, including internal and external bleeding.
Cheryl and former One Direction star Liam were together for two years, from 2016 to 2018. They welcomed their son, Bear, in March 2017, just over a year into their relationship. However, the former couple sadly announced their split in July 2018 but they continued to co-parent their young son, who is now eight-years-old.
The star was last spotted attending his funeral in November last year.