Man lost dream job after stalker who claimed to be MI5 agent destroyed his life

Man lost dream job after stalker who claimed to be MI5 agent destroyed his lifeStalker Elliot McLelland, 24, walked free from court after he was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence despite having claimed to be an MI5 agent and pursuing his victimNewsJonathan Blackburn, Patrick Edrich and Anders Anglesey News Reporter09:47, 23 Apr 2026Updated 09:53, 23 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesElliot McLelland was allowed to walk free from court (Image: Daily Echo)A man lost his dream job after a "persistent and sophisticated" stalker made his life "a nightmare." Riley Taylor, 22, was stalked by Elliot McLelland, 24, who claimed to be an MI5 agent as he wormed his way into Riley's life and threatened to end his career as a Ryanair steward.McLelland pursued Riley, following him from work, waiting for him at the airport and even booking flights he know the air steward was due to work on. McLelland was allowed to walk free from Liverpool Magistrates court after being sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for a year, and was given a five-year restraining order. Riley said the sentence as "no justice at all", adding he had "had to build a new career and a new life" after losing his job during the campaign.Riley was just 18 when he was hired to work Ryanair flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which he described as a "dream job." He was employed by the Irish agency Cabin Crew International at the time, reports the Liverpool Echo.View 2 ImagesMcLelland told his victim he was "watching me" (Image: Daily Echo)Riley said: "I used to see a guy all the time at the airport and I always wondered why he was there and why he used to sit in the lounge area before flights. I thought he might be homeless or lonely."A few weeks later, I got a message on a dating app from him saying he was watching me and that we should be friends." Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard how McLelland started to spin wild sto...