Liverpool Midfielder Receives Two-Year Restraining Order from Stalker
A 42-year-old man has been handed a two-year restraining order and an 18-month community order for stalking Liverpool midfielder Marie Höbinger. Mangal Dalal, who pleaded guilty to stalking at the Liverpool Magistrates Court in December, has been ordered to pay £650 of costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
The court heard that Dalal sent Höbinger highly sexualized content on Instagram, including messages expressing his desire to have children with her, as well as explicit pictures. He also made her feel anxious at home, causing her to hold back from socializing with fans at matches and leading to a flare-up of a skin condition.
Höbinger took to the stand to deliver a powerful victim impact statement, stating that the stalking had affected not only her but also her performance on the pitch. The Austria international claimed she now struggles to sleep and lives in fear of her surroundings, especially when living alone at home.
"This incident has meant I now struggle to sleep," Höbinger said. "I live on my own, and being on my own at home I become anxious and scared – any noise I fear [he] may have found out where I lived." She added that women's football is not immune to the issue of sexual harassment and disrespect.
The court also heard that Dalal had been spotted by Höbinger's supporters after a match in Manchester last February. However, his defense lawyer argued that Dalal was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of contacting Höbinger.
In a surprising turn of events, it emerged that Dalal has a history of barefoot preaching and being seen on the streets. Despite this, he pleaded guilty to stalking Höbinger, highlighting the severity of the situation.
A 42-year-old man has been handed a two-year restraining order and an 18-month community order for stalking Liverpool midfielder Marie Höbinger. Mangal Dalal, who pleaded guilty to stalking at the Liverpool Magistrates Court in December, has been ordered to pay £650 of costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
The court heard that Dalal sent Höbinger highly sexualized content on Instagram, including messages expressing his desire to have children with her, as well as explicit pictures. He also made her feel anxious at home, causing her to hold back from socializing with fans at matches and leading to a flare-up of a skin condition.
Höbinger took to the stand to deliver a powerful victim impact statement, stating that the stalking had affected not only her but also her performance on the pitch. The Austria international claimed she now struggles to sleep and lives in fear of her surroundings, especially when living alone at home.
"This incident has meant I now struggle to sleep," Höbinger said. "I live on my own, and being on my own at home I become anxious and scared – any noise I fear [he] may have found out where I lived." She added that women's football is not immune to the issue of sexual harassment and disrespect.
The court also heard that Dalal had been spotted by Höbinger's supporters after a match in Manchester last February. However, his defense lawyer argued that Dalal was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of contacting Höbinger.
In a surprising turn of events, it emerged that Dalal has a history of barefoot preaching and being seen on the streets. Despite this, he pleaded guilty to stalking Höbinger, highlighting the severity of the situation.
I feel so bad for Marie Höbinger, she's going through some really tough stuff. Stalking is never okay, no matter what anyone says 
. It's not like Mangal Dalal was just a bit enthusiastic with his feelings, it was harassment and it made her feel super uncomfortable and scared 
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. I'm glad she spoke out about this, it's so important for us to talk about these issues and raise awareness.
. Two years is still a long time, and he needs to take responsibility for his actions. I hope Marie Höbinger can start to feel safe again soon 
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. The fact that Mangal Dalal sent her explicit pictures and messages makes me wonder what kind of mindset he had going on. And to think that it affected her so much on and off the pitch... 
. I'm glad the court took this seriously enough to give him a two-year restraining order. But I do wish the community had been more aware of Dalal's behavior - maybe there were some red flags back in February when his supporters showed up 
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This case is like a mirror reflecting the darker aspects of our society 
. We think we've made progress with online safety measures and reporting systems, but it's clear that there are still people out there who believe they can control others through their actions 
. Marie Höbinger's experience is a stark reminder that women in public life are not immune to harassment and stalking 
. It's also interesting how Mangal Dalal's past behavior, despite being seemingly unrelated to his stalking, raises questions about the complexity of human nature 
... were these actions just a symptom of something deeper?
And now he's getting community service too, that's the least he can do. I heard about this barefoot preaching thing, like what even is that? 
why would someone do that to another human being? i mean, Marie Höbinger is just trying to live her life and play football, but he's ruining it for her 
and what's with the barefoot preacher guy 
did he really think that would help his case 
anyway, i'm so glad the court took action and put a stop to all this stalking nonsense 
... she got loose in the house last week and drove me crazy, but then my friend's husband finally caught her after hours of searching around 
. She's struggling to sleep and lives in fear of her surroundings... it's so sad. And the fact that someone could do this to her, stalk her on Instagram and make her feel anxious at home... 18 months is a long time, I hope he gets some serious help 
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The fact that Höbinger is now living in fear and struggling with anxiety because of this guy's behavior is super concerning, though. 
And I'm still wondering how someone who's into all that barefoot preaching stuff ends up getting charged with stalking... 
? No way, man! The fact that he got away with it for so long is just crazy 
and just walked away. i mean dont get me wrong stalker stuff is NO GO 
also i heard she's a super talented footballer & she has to deal with this 
like can u even imagine having to sleep with one eye open thinking someone might be outside ur house 
& i feel bad for her fans too, they must've been so worried about her too 
. Like, can't people just respect boundaries? I mean, Marie Höbinger is a public figure trying her best out there on the pitch and Mangal Dalal is doing her harm on social media 
. It's not okay to send explicit messages or pictures and expect someone to be all smiles. And honestly, it's scary that he had the guts to show up at matches too... like, personal space, people! 
. And can you even believe his defense lawyer was saying he had a psychotic episode? Like, how does that even work? He knew what he was doing and still tried to make excuses