A man has been found guilty of stalking comedian Joe Lycett after sending a series of distressing messages and shouting in the street outside his home. Sam Egerton was charged with an offence under the Harassment Act. The 34-year-old from Perry Barr had pleaded not guilty to stalking without fear or alarm or distress. It was alleged that between August 20 last year and January 6 this year he pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Mr Lycett which he ought to have known amounted to the harassment of him. Further, it stated he made posts on social media platform 'X' referencing him and also 'loitered outside his address' in the city. Egerton stood trial at Birmingham Magistrates' Court and was found guilty of stalking the comedian. Follow our updates from the hearing below. Key Events Breaking: Guilty verdict 15:37 Judge Ikram moves immediately to his verdict. He tells Egerton that the prosecution has to make him sure of the offence but it is a 'high burden'. Judge Ikram confirms he is 'satisfied' that Mr Lycett was genuinely distressed and that the defendant's actions 'amounted to harassment'. He formally finds him GUILTY of stalking. Judge Ikram adjourns sentencing until April 24 and orders the probation service to carry out a pre-sentence report. He states: 'You have said things during the course of these proceedings that have caused me some concern. I want you to work with the probation officer'. He further orders a psychiatric assessment to be completed. The judge asks Egerton if he has any support, to which he replies: 'I have got nobody'. He is granted bail with conditions not to attend a certain part of the road in which Mr Lycett lives and to not contact him. That concludes our coverage of the hearing. Full summary to follow. 15:27 Katy Hallam Accused accepts Tweets were 'terribly nasty' but 'didn't mean them'. Egerton accepts some of the things he posted were 'terribly nasty' but says: 'It doesn't mean I meant them'. 15:25 Katy Hallam Accused - 'didn't get a rise'. Egerton reiterates that he does not want a criminal record, but he is 'pushing a point of law'. In cross-examination from the prosecutor he denies he tried to cause Mr Lycett distress. Asked whether he was 'jealous' of Mr Lycett he replies: 'Absolutely not, I have no desire to be famous. I want nothing to do with anyone within the Satanic cult'. Asked whether he acted as he did to 'rattle' and 'get a rise' out of Mr Lycett he says: 'Yeah, which I didn't get'. Egerton adds: 'I wanted to see if he was man enough to let me know this was rattling'. 15:16 Katy Hallam Accused has 'addictive compulsion' to Tweeting. He goes on to tell the court that he went to Oxford and obtained a law degree. Egerton says he played rugby for England but quit 'for political reasons'. He states he took a job at a law firm but they 'were not happy with my Tweets'. Egerton says: 'I said no I'm not giving up my free speech. That's why I'm here. All this compulsive Tweeting, I have got an addictive compulsion, I have been taken by it... In reference to his alleged stalking of Mr Lycett he adds: 'He needs to let me know'. 15:10 Katy Hallam Accused explains mental health issues. Egerton says his own brother believes he 'needs to be in hospital'. He tells the court he feels suicidal and states he was sectioned in 2019. Egerton adds: 'I've been escaping the idea I'm a threat to others and myself'. 15:03 Katy Hallam Accused speaks of 'chain of events'. Egerton tells the court: 'He [Joe Lycett] needs to let me know this is stalking and harassment'. Egerton continues: 'He's enjoying the idea of coming to court, he has his long list of Tweets. He's come prepared. He's lapping this up. He's enjoying it. He gets the guy who has been annoying people by protesting against the place'. Egerton breaks off again and says he forgot what he was trying to say. He resumes: 'By not prosecuting me, dealing with me appropriately he has caused this chain of events'. Egerton adds: 'I'm not articulating myself very well. I'm angry. I don't believe this is the right course of treatment. I don't want a criminal record'. 14:54 KEY EVENT Accused gives evidence - 'annoyingly I have found myself living on this man's road'. Egerton says: 'The only bit of evidence that I really think is important is to show my intention'. He directs the court to post he made on 'X' on August 13 that pre-dated those included in the prosecution. With the blessing of the judge Egerton reads the post which includes referring to Mr Lycett as 'Queen lizard'. He breaks off and tries to summarise what he meant, saying: 'I'm basically saying at this point I have identified annoyingly I have found myself living on this man's road... Egerton says at the time he was trying to get into the library, pull together his own Tweets and 'make something of my writing'. He further makes reference to issues with his own ex-partner. 14:44 Katy Hallam CCTV 'shows defendant shouting outside comedian's home'. A brief CCTV clip is played to the court which is said to show Egerton shouting in the street outside Mr Lycett's house. PC Taylor says the defendant appears in the corner of the screen barefooted. Egerton says to the court that he was not barefooted but wearing sandals. That concludes PC Taylor's evidence and also the prosecution's case. Egerton confirms he wishes to give evidence in his own defence. He takes his place in the witness box. 14:35 Katy Hallam Judge quizzed by accused. While we are waiting for the next witness to come into court Egerton asks the judge 'can I have your name?' The judge confirms it is 'Ikram' and spells it for him. Egerton then asks for his first name. The judge initially replies 'Google me', before confirming it is 'Tan'. 'It is not a secret', he adds. 14:20 Katy Hallam Trial resumes. The trial resumes. Mr Lycett is called back to the witness box. Mr Mirza asks whether the defendant intended him any harm, but Judge Ikram blocks the questions stating it is 'inappropriate'. The judge says Mr Lycett cannot speak to the intentions of the defendant. With that his evidence is concluded and he is released from court. The next witness is PC Taylor. 13:28 Katy Hallam Court breaks for lunch. The trial has adjourned for a lunch break. We will continue our coverage when it resumes. 13:00 Katy Hallam 'Final warning' given by judge. Egerton continues to speak out from the dock as he requests Mr Mirza put certain questions to Mr Lycett. Judge Ikram says: 'I'm giving you a final warning. If you continue to interrupt the process and interrupt Mr Mirza, I will have you removed from the courtroom because I will take the view you are being disruptive and are disrupting the proceedings'. Cross-examination continues but Egerton fails to heed the message as he speaks out again. Judge Ikram repeats the warning and says: 'I really, really don't want to have you removed from the courtroom'. 12:51 Katy Hallam Judge warns defendant will be 'removed from court' over outbursts. Egerton speaks out again. Judge Ikram warns he will be 'removed from court', adding he is 'running out of patience'. Egerton mumbles that it is an 'unfair trial'. The prosecutor concludes his questions for Mr Lycett. Mumtaz Mirza, representing Egerton, begins cross-examination. He asks Mr Lycett why he did not 'block' the defendant on social media. Mr Lycett explains he stopped blocking people 'a long time ago'. He says even though it's 'uncomfortable' to see some things people say it was better that he saw them 'for his own safety' than to block them and be unaware. 12:47 Katy Hallam Joe Lycett - 'I wish him no ill will - I want him to be looked after'. The prosecutor asks Mr Lycett how the messages made him feel overall. He says: 'Naturally the fact I'm here I feel there's some concern for my safety or the safety of my family. I don't want to be here, I don't want to have to go through this process. I'm concerned for Mr Egerton and his wellbeing, I want him to be supported and looked after and I ideally want some sort of system, a restraining order to keep him away from me for my security. I wish him no ill will, I don't want a custodial sentence or for him to be locked up. I want him to be looked after'. Mr Lycett adds that he did not take the decision to contact the police 'lightly' but he 'felt it was the correct process'. 12:40 Katy Hallam 'You are in the deepest hell, you will die very soon'. Mr Lycett tells the court that Egerton sent him a message directly even after the police had ordered him not to. Mr Searle moves on to the final Tweets sent by the defendant in January this year. One said: 'As soon as I see him in the courtroom I'm going to shout as loud as I possibly can. You are in the deepest hell, you will die very soon'. Mr Lycett says: 'Saying you will die very soon is quite an intimidating thing to say to somebody'. 12:32 Katy Hallam 'High volume' of messages that 'didn't make sense'. In one Tweet read to the court Egerton stated he had no intention to attend Mr Lycett's gigs. Mr Lycett tells the court that proposition was not in his mind until he Tweeted it. He says: 'Ultimately it made me feel sad. I now knew he was a neighbour. I want to make sure he's okay. It made me worried for him and his wellbeing and also concerned for my safety'. Mr Lycett states that he did not know the 'ultimate message' behind the posts. He adds: 'There was a high volume and they didn't make sense to me'. 12:24 Katy Hallam Joe Lycett 'woken by shouting'. Mr Searle moves on to footage from Mr Lycett's Ring doorbell camera in the early hours of August 24. Mr Lycett confirms he woke up some time between 1am and 2am. He says: 'I woke to hear the sound of shouting outside the house the specifics were inaudible to me. In Kings Heath of an evening it is not surprising. People get drunk and they shout. It wasn't a huge concern. The shouting seemed to stop and I went back to sleep'. Mr Lycett tells the court he checked his Ring doorbell footage the next morning. He adds: 'I presumed it was him but I didn't know at that stage'. 12:20 Katy Hallam Music video connection. Mr Lycett tells the court that one particular Tweet from Egerton made him realise he had previously been involved in a music video with the defendant's brother. He estimates that may have taken place in the summer of 2021. Responding to the phrase 'self-serving lizard w*' Mr Lycett says: 'It was unclear what that means, obviously it was not designed as a compliment I would hasten to guess'. Mr Searle asks Mr Lycett if he felt he was being 'bullied' after the word was used in a post from Egerton. Mr Lycett replies: 'Bullied is not the right word, I thought I was being intimidated'. Egerton makes another outburst from the dock. Judge Ikram says: 'Mr Egerton I'm showing a lot of patience in this court. My patience may run out. This witness will give evidence. You may not agree with everything he says'. 12:19 Katy Hallam 'Erratic Tweets'. Mr Lycett tells the court there was a further incident when he noticed Egerton sitting on a bench. Returning to Tweets the prosecutor reads out a further post that described Mr Lycett as a 'self-serving lizard w**'. Mr Lycett says: 'It just continues the concern from the previous day in terms of I was being mentioned in these erratic Tweets'. 12:07 Katy Hallam Judge warns accused after another interruption. Egerton interrupts the proceedings again. Judge Ikram says: 'Mr Egerton I'm not going to continue to tell you to be quiet. You will be quiet, thank you. Either you sit there or I will have to think about alternatives'. Egerton replies 'a muzzle would be good'. 12:05 Katy Hallam Accused interrupts proceedings. Not for the first time Egerton speaks out from the dock and appears to complain that his name is being pronounced wrong. District Judge Tanweer Ikram says: 'Apologies for getting your name wrong. Mr Egerton please be quiet. Thank you'. The prosecutor reads out another Tweet to the court which references the BBC. Mr Lycett confirms he has done work for the BBC and that after seeing that message he contacted the police. He says: 'I didn't really know what to do, I had never been in that position before'. 12:02 Katy Hallam Joe Lycett 'rattled' as messages continue. Mr Searle reads another Tweet from Egerton which made references to Mr Lycett being 'out on the street with friends and family'. In the post the defendant also described himself as the 'top dog' on the street where Mr Lycett lived, adding that Mr Lycett was 'rattled'. Mr Lycett says: 'That's when the concern started to grow. He says he's still 'top dog' which suggests some sort of hierarchy I'm vying for and then 'you are rattled', which seems to be the whole intention of the whole exercise'. In relation to being 'out on the street' he adds: 'Just observed in an uncomfortable way. I was rattled so it was accurate'. 11:57 Katy Hallam Tweets 'mentioned baby'. Mr Lycett confirms he made a timeline of events. The prosecutor reads another Tweet from Egerton which makes reference to 'babies' as well as Mr Lycett having a 'muffin bottom'. Mr Lycett confirms his partner had read that to him while he was driving. He tells the court he was concerned over the mention of a 'baby'. Mr Lycett says: 'It confirmed someone was watching me, that I had a baby. The first Tweet didn't mention a baby, this does. Then there was discussion about what a muffin bottom was, still don't know'. He adds that he actually found the phrase muffin bottom was 'quite funny'. 11:47 Katy Hallam Joe describes incident outside his home. Mr Lycett tells the court he got in the car with his son and partner and drove off. He says: 'I got in the car and turned it around and turned left. I spotted he was sat on a wall, I think we clocked eyes. I said to my partner something to the effect of 'that guy makes me nervous'. I explained what had happened and I read the Tweet. She started looking at the Tweets and reading the subsequent Tweets. I think the next Tweet was that I was 'rattled'. 11:41 Katy Hallam Comedian shares concern for newborn baby. Mr Lycett says that at that time he had a newborn baby, a son, adding 'naturally I was in a state of concern'. The prosecutor plays a video to the court allegedly posted by Egerton in which he says he 'cannot work' and 'I'm going to be on state benefits'. He was also heard to say he was 'making Joe Lycett hop about like he can't live his life'. Mr Lycett says: 'That was concerning to me, it was worrying, it felt like a threat. That was a worrying thing to watch'. He tells the court that on a date in August last year he was outside his house putting his son in the car when someone walked past who he believed to be Egerton. 11:35 Katy Hallam Joe Lycett - 'I was concerned by sleeping war general Tweet'. Mr Searle reads an alleged Tweet from Egerton which made reference to Mr Lycett's road. It also said Mr Lycett was 'too scared to leave his house to walk past'. In the post Egerton described himself as a 'sleeping war general with PTSD'. Mr Lycett confirms he received the message to his account. He says: 'It's not common for me to get messages like that. It's not uncommon to get unsolicited messages from the public. What was unusual was my road name was in it and a photograph of the person who I presumed sent it. Usually it's more anonymous. They don't have specific details about locations and don't give specific details about themselves'. Asked if it 'worried' him Mr Lycett replies: 'Not massively but I was concerned at that stage. Mainly because of my road name'. 11:30 KEY EVENT Comedian Joe Lycett gives evidence. Mr Lycett is called into court. He takes his place in the witness box and takes an oath. Mr Lycett confirms in August of last year he had lived at his address in Kings Heath for nearly ten years. He says prior to then he had nothing to do with the defendant and had never met him before. Mr Lycett further confirms he's an 'entertainer' and that he has an X account. 11:28 Katy Hallam New charge denied. Egerton takes his place in the dock, which is screened from the half of the court where reporter Carl Jackson is sitting by a black curtain. Prosecutor Howard Searle applies for an alternative less offence of harassment to be added to the indictment. The specific details of the allegation remain the same. District Judge Tanweer Ikram addresses Egerton and says: 'It shouldn't happen on the day of trial, but it happens'. The charge is put to Egerton and confirms he also denies that offence as well. The case proceeds to trial. 11:25 Katy Hallam Joe Lycett in court as trial to start. Good morning and thank you for joining us. The defendant Sam Egerton is here and maintains his denial of the charge. Mr Lycett is also at the courthouse to give evidence. The district judge enters the courtroom and the hearing gets underway.
