Man sentenced to 8 years for stalking with fake Tinder lure

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for orchestrating a prolonged and dangerous stalking campaign against a former partner, which included creating a fake Tinder profile to send dozens of strangers to her home. Asad Hussain, 36, of Heald Green, Stockport, was sentenced on Monday, June 29, 2026, at Chester Crown Court after being unanimously convicted in April of stalking involving serious harm and distress, assault by beating, and failing to provide passwords to his devices.

The court heard that Hussain first contacted the victim on Facebook in April 2024 using the false name Mick Renney. Their brief relationship ended in May 2024 due to his increasingly possessive, jealous, and controlling behavior, which included turning up at her address at all hours and questioning her about other men. On May 5, 2024, he interrogated her, tried to grab her phone, and grabbed her wrists, causing her to fall and hurt her arms.

After the relationship ended, Hussain continued to contact the woman’s friends and daughters in attempts to reconcile. By July 2024, he had escalated his harassment by creating a fraudulent Tinder profile using the victim’s details and photographs. Through...