WHEN Liz Hood found a perverted message in permanent marker on her car one morning, she thought it was teenagers playing a prank.
But for weeks, sexually explicit scrawlings continued to appear on her Fiat 500, which was parked outside her flat.
One day, Liz, 40, from Tyne and Wear, discovered a pair of pink knickers hanging from her wing mirror with a message reading: “I WANT TO CU WEARING THESE BLONDIE."
Fearing she’d be sexually assaulted, Liz phoned the police.
Months later, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Burke, 52, was arrested.
For two years, he’d been terrorising eight other women in Gateshead, daubing sexual slogans on their cars and homes.
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In February this year, Burke was jailed for two years for harassment, criminal damage, breaching a sexual risk order, theft and having an article with intent to commit criminal damage – the marker pen.
Liz, who works in HR, says: “I’m glad he’s behind bars.
“He made me feel scared I’d be sexually assaulted and I couldn’t go anywhere alone.
“I even started to suspect my own neighbours. It was awful.”
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In November 2018, Liz, then 36, bought her first flat.
She quickly became friends with her neighbours who added her to their WhatsApp group.
She says: “Everyone was really friendly and I joined their book club and went to the weekly pub quiz.
“I loved the community spirit.”
The following year, Liz met her partner, Max, 45, a taxi driver and he moved in soon after.
Then, in January 2020, when she headed to work one morning, she noticed some writing on the door of her Fiat 500.
In big black letters were the words: “CAN I S**G YOU PLEASE.”
Liz remembers: “I was shocked and tried to rub it off, but it wouldn’t budge and I realised it was permanent marker.
“I took some pictures before getting some nail varnish remover to scrub it off.
“But as I removed it, my lovely mint green paintwork was left scuffed.”
Liz thought it was some teenagers messing around and went to work and didn’t think about the incident again.
But, the following week, it happened again.
At 8am on Tuesday morning, another message in the same handwriting was on her car door.
It read: “LOVELY BODY FOR UR AGE CAN I F*** U HARD FROM BEHIND.”
Worried someone was watching her, Liz scanned the street but no one was there.
Afterwards, she took some photos for evidence, before cleaning it off.
She says: “I started to suspect one of my neighbours and wondered if I was being watched.
“My skin crawled at the notion.”
That evening, Liz reported it to the police, who took her statement and copies of the photographs.
The following Tuesday morning, she headed to work as usual.
She says: “As I approached my car, I noticed something pink hanging from the wing mirror.
“I realised it was a pair of lacy knickers.
“I felt sick.”
In capital letters on the driver’s door was written: “I WANT TO CU WEARING THESE BLONDIE.”
Panicked, Liz called her partner, Max, down to the carpark.
She says: “When he saw the knickers his face dropped and he asked if they were mine.
“I told him they weren’t.
“I called the police as it was getting out of hand.”
After taking photos, Liz scrubbed off the writing, before placing the knickers in a plastic bag.
Three days later, the police attended.
Liz remembers: “I showed the officers the knickers and photos of the messages.
“But they didn’t seem fazed and when I asked if they could do forensics on them they told me it was too expensive.
“After taking my statement they left and I threw away the pants.
“I was disappointed, I felt like they weren’t taking it seriously.”
After that, the messages stopped but Liz continued to look over her shoulder.
Then, two months later, a police officer called, asking Liz to attend an interview at the station.
There, she was told other women had reported similar incidences and gave another statement.
In June 2020, Jeffrey Burke was caught and arrested, but he denied the charges against him.
He was released pending trial and banned from entering the area or carrying a marker pen.
But before the case went to court, Burke broke his bail conditions, after stealing a pair of knickers from someone’s washing line.
Three years later, in February 2023, Burke pleaded guilty to offences of harassment, criminal damage, breaching a sexual risk order, theft and having an article with intent to commit criminal damage – the marker pen.
Newcastle Crown Court heard he had 65 previous convictions, including for indecent assaults, exposure, a burglary during which he was armed with a screwdriver and stopped a woman leaving her bathroom and theft of underwear from a washing line in 2016.
He was jailed for two years and given an indefinite restraining order against his nine victims.
Liz says: “I’m glad he’s been jailed and justice has been served.
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“Now I’ve got a new car and am moving on with my life.
“I just hope that pervert finally learns his lesson and leaves women alone.”
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