A former West Yorkshire Police staff member has been warned that he may be jailed for stalking a woman.

Richard Marshall, 39, was based in the Digital Forensics Unit at the WYP Headquarters but he has since left the force.

He was due to stand trial in April on the stalking charge but he appeared at Bradford Crown Court today and changed his plea to guilty on a basis accepted by the Crown.

Marshall was sent to the higher court by Bradford and Keighley Magistrates on December 10 last year accused of causing the woman serious alarm and distress between January 2 and September 23, 2020, by entering her property without her knowledge, leaving items in and around her home and vehicle and following her.

Imran Khan, for the prosecution, told Recorder Judy Dawson that Marshall’s basis of plea, which was not read out in court, wasn’t disputed by the Crown Prosecution Service or his female victim.

Marshall’s barrister, Emily Hassell, asked the judge to adjourn sentence for the preparation of a report from the probation service.

Recorder Dawson said she hadn’t seen a victim personal statement and she expected one to be made available when Marshall is sentenced on June 9.

His bail was enlarged on condition that he co-operates with the probation service in the writing of the pre-sentence report.

Recorder Dawson stressed that all sentencing options remained open.

“All options including an immediate custodial sentence are possible,” she said.

In a statement issued in December last year, West Yorkshire Police said Marshall was initially suspended from duty and had since left the organisation.