Is this stalking?

[BirthdayBear]

I cut off someone a few years ago after repeatedly warning them that I would if they didn’t stop their abusive behaviour.

I heard nothing from them for nearly three years but now they have contacted me again (I have a new phone, same number, didn’t occur to me to block them). They sent a picture of themselves smirking 🙄. (I don’t know whether over the years they have tried my number occasionally?? and just got through now. Or, as it was through WhatsApp, I just popped up on their phone as unblocked when I changed to my new one?? I don’t know how WhatsApp works...

Anyway, I blocked them. Within half an hour I got a call from an unknown number. I googled it and it came up as a relative of the first person (came up on a site where they were selling cigarettes illegally and had put their details 🙄).

I presume that they realised they were blocked again and tried a different phone to see if they could ring me.

I blocked the second number.

I don’t think this is over. How much of this do I have to put up with before is deeemed “stalking”?

Tia

Take screen shots on the 'smirking' photo and start a list of any harassment right now. If anything else happens over the next 24 hours, go to the police or call 101.

It doesnt matter what you call it, it is unacceptable behaviour.I might be inclined to ring/text it saying if this continues yo will go to the police

You can normally set your phone to automatically block unknown/private numbers etc.

Thanks both.

I did tell them when I cut them off that I would go to the police if they came to my home (they threatened to do that) but not if they contacted me. Just told them not to and blocked them on everything.

Will take screengrab, thanks.

Take screen grabs of everything - any messages to you and any messages from you to them.

Sorry this is happening to you.

mothertruck3r Yes I discovered this but I’m bothered that something to do School or helayh(sick child) might try to contact me an dnot get through easily.

*health

Birthday - but they would still be able to send you text messages in that case (and leave a voicemail I believe). Just means you can screen all calls and if they leave a voicemail just delete asap.

Take screen shots of the pics they've sent you.
Call 111 and report this to the police, let them know the history and that you're concerned they're contacting you after you told them not to due to their past abusive behaviour. You definitely want them to have a record of this.
I would highly recommend changing your number (which I get can be a total hassle but then you know they won't have this as a way of contacting you) and only pass your new number onto the people and services that need it.

mothertruck3r Right. My issue is the hospital goes brought a switchboard so I would never be able to receive a direct call because switchboard calls count as a withheld number.

In the past when I have missed a call from the hospital regarding results or whatever, and have returned the call, it has been a helluva issue trying to get through to the right person, delaying information to me and that’s quite stressful. They don’t always leave a message and never text when it’s results.

It May be easier to get a new number.

RivanQueen You don’t think contacting the police now is over the top when they didn’t do anything abusive this time, just sent a stupid picture and then rang?

I mean they could say they thought I’d unblocked them or thought they’d try their luck because so much time had passed. They have form for skirting just within the law.

OP, I had some difficulties with someone who was persistent and I wanted to cut off. I phoned my provider and explained I was being harassed and they changed my number free of charge (as a once off).

Agree with PPs that you should consider reporting to police.

Birthday I am assuming you have kept their number and downloaded WhatsApp on your new phone? If that's the case and they also have WhatsApp and your number it would come up on their WhatsApp that you now have it. It would seem that they've seen that and instead of respecting your request from a few years ago they've decided to take this opportunity to try and contact you and upset you which is what abusive asshole do.
If it was me and I had someone from my past who was abusive who I had blocked but they started contacting me as soon as they realised they could get in touch with me I would be contacting the police non-emergency 111 number and notifying them. You would hope after 3 years this person would have moved on, the fact that they haven't would be worrying to me. But that's just what I would do, it's up to you if you feel whether or not it's worth logging it with them or not. I just figure when it comes to abusive people you can't always predict how they're going to behave and I'd want to cover my bases.

RivanQueen No I didn't have their number in my new phone. I didn’t transfer numbers from one to another, I started inputting again from scratch because I’d changed jobs and there were more people to delete than to keep.

I activated WhatsApp On the new phone and I think I must have popped up on theirs because their number was no longer blocked because it wasnt In my phone at all.

I had an old friend contact me through WhatsApp and I did not have their number in my phone. They had mine and when I decided to use WhatsApp recently and got the app, I appeared on their phone just because they had my number in their contacts.

Heard any more from them OP?