Paul Draper, former frontman of the Britpop band Mansun, has had a six-month interim stalking protection order imposed after being accused of stalking the musician Catherine Anne Davies, AKA the Anchoress, including sending “abusive and sexually orientated” messages to the musician and her manager, Sean Adams.
After Draper’s musical career had effectively ended following the demise of Mansun in 2003, Davies invited him to sing on her debut album, 2016’s Confessions of a Romance Novelist, and then helped him launch a solo career, co-writing songs for his 2017 album, Spooky Action, which charted at No 19.
Magistrates in Guildford were told in November that the pair were in a relationship around the time of the collaboration, which was rekindled in 2017 and ended in 2018, the Daily Mail reports.
Since then, said barrister Kris Berlevy, speaking on behalf of Surrey police, Draper has allegedly led a “sustained campaign … of emails, social media messages and the like against [Davies]”.
Berlevy stated that the messages are “extensive and regular”. He told the court that police believed Draper had “carried out acts associated with stalking, and poses a risk”, a claim they said is supported by 116 pages of evidence.
Appearing in court, Draper denied harassing Davies and said he was not responsible for the “vast majority” of the messages. He claimed that there was a “significant background” to any contact he had made.
The full allegations are to be heard in May 2023 to allow Draper to tour in March and April. The court imposed a six-month interim stalking protection order at the request of the police.
Draper is prohibited from contacting Davies or Adams, or her family members, by any means, including “inciting another person to do so” or publishing material which refers to them.
He is forbidden from signing up to websites or subscriptions in Davies’ name, and from visiting her family home or the house she shares with her partner. Breaking the order could lead to imprisonment.
Mansun released their debut album, Attack of the Grey Lantern, in 1997. It charted at No 1. Between 1996 and 2001, the band had 14 Top 40 singles, although their three subsequent albums performed less well. Their final album, Kleptomania, was released in 2004, a year following their split.
Catherine Anne Davies has released music as Catherine AD and the Anchoress. She has collaborated with Manic Street Preachers and Suede’s Bernard Butler, and between 2014 to 2018 performed as part of Simple Minds’ live band. She released her second solo album, The Art of Losing, in 2021, to critical acclaim from Mojo, NME and Uncut magazine.
• This article was amended on 12 December 2022. A previous version stated that the interim stalking protection order prohibits Draper from contacting Davies and her boyfriend; in fact, it applies to Davies and her manager.
