A mother has spoken out about her terrifying ordeal after she was raped by her vile ex-boyfriend who had stalked her for months. Barry Ritson, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, harassed Catherine Cunningham, 50, for three months before breaking into her house while she was sleeping and raping her. Miss Cunningham - who even had the locks on her door changed to avoid 52-year-old Ritson - has now bravely waived her legal right to anonymity in the hope more stalking victims will report their concerns to police before it is too late. Speaking out: Catherine Cunningham, who was raped by her ex-boyfriend after months of harassment, is speaking out in the hope of encouraging other stalking victims to tell police their problems . Barry Ritson, 52, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, was jailed for eight years in June 2013 after being found guilty of rape at Newcastle Crown Court . The mother-of-two, also from Jarrow, wants to warn others that stalking should be reported to the police straight away - incase it becomes as serious as it did for her. She said: 'My whole life changed and I wouldn’t go out. I was frightened to sleep. I couldn’t go back to work. 'You think he will stop tomorrow - you think he will stop phoning and harassing you, but that day doesn’t come.' The tirade of harassment started when Miss Cunningham, a former beauty therapist, told Ritson she was ending their two-year relationship. Ritson started bombarding her with texts and phone calls - and would not take no for an answer. She said: 'It started with text messages and phone calls and it ended up where he would be following me to work and outside home when I came back. And he was ringing through the night. Frightened: The mother-of-two said her whole life changed after she was stalked and raped by Ritson, her ex boyfriend. She was too scared to go out and couldn't work . 'He had the control over me where I started answering my phone rather than having him turning up. He would peer through the windows. 'I was at my friend’s once and he was standing on a wall looking over the fence. The campaign of harassment started when Miss Cunningham tried to end her two-year relationship with Ritson. He then text and phoned her all through the night, even turning up when she was away on holiday . 'He came into the house once and grabbed my phone to see who I was phoning and texting and he phoned all my friends to make sure they were the right numbers. 'He made me feel tired, worn out and scared.' The intimidation - which included turning up when she was on holiday at Sandy Bay, near Ashington, Northumberland - went on for three months. But the harassment took a nastier turn on July 9, 2012 when Ritson crept into Miss Cunningham's home. He had already broken into the house twice before, but Miss Cunningham managed to throw him out. She had even had the locks changed after it emerged he had a key - but he had threatened her by saying ‘Do you think you’re clever?'. But this time, while she was sleeping, Ritson raped her. Ritson then stayed in her home for another six hours after the terrifying assault, making Miss Cunningham fear for her safety. She said: 'There were a few times he came when he had been on the drink and his attitude was more threatening. 'He had broken in twice before that but because I was up and wide awake I managed to get hold of him and throw him out. 'He was watching when I got the locks changed. He broke into the house while I was asleep and he raped me.' When he eventually left she called her friend, who phoned the police. Ritson was . jailed for eight years in June 2013 after a jury at Newcastle Crown . Court found him guilty of rape. Miss Cunningham, who has two grown-up children aged 30 and 28, is now warning others to pick up the phone to police far earlier if they are living in fear. As part of National Stalking Awareness Day today, she hopes by bravely sharing her story others will speak out when they are being targeted. She said: 'If anybody is going through it, they need to report it. 'The police have got a support network. They helped me understand what I was going through and there was always somebody there to listen to me. 'You don’t want to pour your heart out all the time to your kids.' Detective Superintendent Steve Wade from Northumbria Police said Miss Cunningham's devastating experience should serve as a warning to others about the dangers of letting stalking go unreported. He said: 'This year’s theme is working without fear. 'The National Stalking Helpline has done some research into stalking and it’s amazing how many will meet their stalker in the workplace, or they are clients, or the stalker turns up at work, or follows them home. 'The workplace is actually a danger point for stalking behaviour and we are trying to work with employers to raise awareness. 'It’s a greatly under reported crime, with just eight reports of it in 12 months to Northumbria Police. 'Statistics suggest the victim will suffer 100 incidents before they report it.' The National Stalking Helpline is 0808 802 0300 and lines are open between 9.30pm and 4pm on weekdays (1pm and 4pm on Wednesday).
Catherine Cunningham, 50, started being harassed by her ex-boyfriend when she tried to end their two-year relationship .
Barry Ritson, 52, would text and phone Miss Cunningham and wait for her outside work .
In July 2012, Ritson broke into Miss Cunningham's home and raped her .
Ritson, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, was jailed for eight years in June 2013 .
Miss Cunningham has now waived her right to anonymity to encourage other stalking victims to come forward .
A mother has spoken out about her terrifying ordeal after she was raped by her vile ex-boyfriend who had stalked her for months. Barry Ritson, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, harassed Catherine Cunningham, 50, for three months before breaking into her house while she was sleeping and raping her. Miss Cunningham - who even had the locks on her door changed to avoid 52-year-old Ritson - has now bravely waived her legal right to anonymity in the hope more stalking victims will report their concerns to police before it is too late. Speaking out: Catherine Cunningham, who was raped by her ex-boyfriend after months of harassment, is speaking out in the hope of encouraging other stalking victims to tell police their problems . Barry Ritson, 52, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, was jailed for eight years in June 2013 after being found guilty of rape at Newcastle Crown Court . The mother-of-two, also from Jarrow, wants to warn others that stalking should be reported to the police straight away - incase it becomes as serious as it did for her. She said: 'My whole life changed and I wouldn’t go out. I was frightened to sleep. I couldn’t go back to work. 'You think he will stop tomorrow - you think he will stop phoning and harassing you, but that day doesn’t come.' The tirade of harassment started when Miss Cunningham, a former beauty therapist, told Ritson she was ending their two-year relationship. Ritson started bombarding her with texts and phone calls - and would not take no for an answer. She said: 'It started with text messages and phone calls and it ended up where he would be following me to work and outside home when I came back. And he was ringing through the night. Frightened: The mother-of-two said her whole life changed after she was stalked and raped by Ritson, her ex boyfriend. She was too scared to go out and couldn't work . 'He had the control over me where I started answering my phone rather than having him turning up. He would peer through the windows. 'I was at my friend’s once and he was standing on a wall looking over the fence. The campaign of harassment started when Miss Cunningham tried to end her two-year relationship with Ritson. He then text and phoned her all through the night, even turning up when she was away on holiday . 'He came into the house once and grabbed my phone to see who I was phoning and texting and he phoned all my friends to make sure they were the right numbers. 'He made me feel tired, worn out and scared.' The intimidation - which included turning up when she was on holiday at Sandy Bay, near Ashington, Northumberland - went on for three months. But the harassment took a nastier turn on July 9, 2012 when Ritson crept into Miss Cunningham's home. He had already broken into the house twice before, but Miss Cunningham managed to throw him out. She had even had the locks changed after it emerged he had a key - but he had threatened her by saying ‘Do you think you’re clever?'. But this time, while she was sleeping, Ritson raped her. Ritson then stayed in her home for another six hours after the terrifying assault, making Miss Cunningham fear for her safety. She said: 'There were a few times he came when he had been on the drink and his attitude was more threatening. 'He had broken in twice before that but because I was up and wide awake I managed to get hold of him and throw him out. 'He was watching when I got the locks changed. He broke into the house while I was asleep and he raped me.' When he eventually left she called her friend, who phoned the police. Ritson was . jailed for eight years in June 2013 after a jury at Newcastle Crown . Court found him guilty of rape. Miss Cunningham, who has two grown-up children aged 30 and 28, is now warning others to pick up the phone to police far earlier if they are living in fear. As part of National Stalking Awareness Day today, she hopes by bravely sharing her story others will speak out when they are being targeted. She said: 'If anybody is going through it, they need to report it. 'The police have got a support network. They helped me understand what I was going through and there was always somebody there to listen to me. 'You don’t want to pour your heart out all the time to your kids.' Detective Superintendent Steve Wade from Northumbria Police said Miss Cunningham's devastating experience should serve as a warning to others about the dangers of letting stalking go unreported. He said: 'This year’s theme is working without fear. 'The National Stalking Helpline has done some research into stalking and it’s amazing how many will meet their stalker in the workplace, or they are clients, or the stalker turns up at work, or follows them home. 'The workplace is actually a danger point for stalking behaviour and we are trying to work with employers to raise awareness. 'It’s a greatly under reported crime, with just eight reports of it in 12 months to Northumbria Police. 'Statistics suggest the victim will suffer 100 incidents before they report it.' The National Stalking Helpline is 0808 802 0300 and lines are open between 9.30pm and 4pm on weekdays (1pm and 4pm on Wednesday).
Barry Ritson, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, harassed Catherine Cunningham, 50, for three avoid 52-year-old Ritson - has now bravely waived her legal right to anonymity in the hope more Catherine Cunningham, who was raped by her stalking victims to tell police their problems . Barry Ritson, 52, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, was jailed for eight years in June 2013 after two-year relationship. Ritson started bombarding when Miss Cunningham tried to end her two-year 2012 when Ritson crept into Miss Cunningham's