Coronation Street star Adam Rickitt, who played Nick Tilsley on the ITV soap, was forced to take action against his stalker after being hounded for a year, a court has heard. The 47-year-old actor was harassed by fan Ron Kleihues, who sent him sick messages about his vile fantasies, including one about raping a baby.
Barred from Pub
Rickitt, who also starred in Hollyoaks, barred Kleihues from entering the pub he owns with his wife, Katy, in Cheshire. However, the stalker still turned up and began harassing staff, forcing the former pop star to put the 52-year-old in a headlock. Rickitt also had to make safety arrangements for himself and his wife, former Good Morning Britain presenter Katy, after fearing Kleihues would attack them in the street.
Court Hearing Details
Crewe Magistrates’ Court heard that Rickitt was first contacted by Kleihues, who was working at a nearby pub, in 2024. Rickitt initially believed the stalker was asking for a job, but instead Kleihues asked if the star was hacking his emails. A few months later, Kleihues asked to meet Rickitt, who agreed but recorded the conversation. During the meeting, Kleihues confessed to watching child porn and fantasising about raping a child. Rickitt contacted 999 and banned Kleihues from his pub.
Despite being barred and spoken to by police, Kleihues continued to turn up at the pub and became obsessed with a barmaid and a male staff member. He declared his love for the barmaid and accused Rickitt of holding him back. In a letter, Kleihues wrote: “Every time I get close to someone someone steps in to say one thing or another the opportunity of partnership is taken away.” Rickitt asked him to stop messaging the barmaid as he was “really scaring her,” but the harassment continued with letters and threatening Facebook messages.
Victim Impact Statement
In a victim impact statement, Rickitt said: “My big fear was not doing enough and that a child was going to get raped because I had not managed to get him stopped. I asked if he had raped a child and he replied: ‘No’ but said ‘The demons’ were keeping him awake at night. It was going through my head every day and I felt incredibly guilty that a child was at risk. I had a general sense that he was obviously dissolved mentally. My fear was also that he would attack us. I would not let my wife walk home alone and I was scared for the staff.”
Sentencing and Restraining Order
Kleihues has been issued with an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting Rickitt and his wife Katy. He was also sentenced to a 12-month community order with a requirement to attend 30 days of rehabilitation activity, fined £180, and made to pay £472 in costs and surcharge after admitting harassment. A further hearing in June will determine whether Kleihues will be made subject of a stalking protection order.
