AN Oxford University Press employee was left feeling 'intimidated' and having nightmares during a five-month campaign of stalking by a workmate, a court heard.

Prosecutors claim that Joseph Garratt stalked his alleged victim while they were both working at different departments at the Jericho-based institution.

The 28-year old of King Walk, Didcot, meanwhile, denies a single count of stalking.

At the start of his trial at Oxford Crown Court yesterday prosecutor Julian Lynch told jurors that the abuse took place between May 15 2017 and October 17 2017.

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During this time, the court heard, Garratt would 'follow' his victim and repeatedly stare directly at her, some times on a daily basis.

On one occasion of alleged stalking, it was claimed, Garratt 'ran' after her when she left the building to meet with her partner.

Later that day, jurors were told, the woman saw Garratt near her home after she was inside looking around 'for her or her address.'

Taking to the witness box she said the ordeal made her feel 'intimated and 'confused' at the repeated behaviour.

Detailing the instances of alleged stalking she said that Garratt had first noticed her while in a common area where he approached her while she was with a friend.

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She said: "There was nobody else there and he came and sat very close to us. He sat on some corner sofa by us, but a little bit too close for comfort.

"He was strangely staring at us. It was a little bit intimidating."

She went on that after this encounter Garratt would regularly walk through her work area and stare at her.

On one occasion in a kitchen, she said, he asked her where the bin was while she was already putting something in the bin and later 'brushed up' against her.

The alleged victim recalled another instance of stalking whereby she said he circled her work area changing his clothing on each pass, up to three times.

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She said that as the instances continued she began to have nightmares.

While opening the case to jurors prosecutor Julian Lynch said: "She was obviously frightened by what was going on.

"It may be that this case in the end is about whether he was following [his victim] at all.

"Or whether she has completely gotten the wrong end of the stick and that these occasions she talks about were coincidence."

Garratt denies the charge and the trial - expected to last up to four days - continues.