‘He stalked me, but I was the one arrested’
He Stalked Me, But I Was the One Arrested
In December 2020, Jodie Morrow found herself in a police vehicle, tearfully anticipating the journey to custody. The arrest came after she had been falsely accused of harassing Ezra Garfield, the man she had previously reported for persistent messages on social media following a brief relationship. For months prior, the Ulster University student had raised concerns about Garfield’s behavior, yet he remained unscathed despite her repeated outreach to authorities.
The Dating App Encounter
Jodie, then 19, met Garfield—then known as Riagain Grainger—on a dating app in Belfast during March 2020. Their initial interactions were described as “very normal,” with Garfield appearing “absolutely lovely” at first. “He never had a single red flag at all,” she recounted during an interview with BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme. However, she sensed a lack of connection and planned to end the relationship politely.
When she told Garfield she no longer wished to see him, his demeanor shifted dramatically. Soon after, Jodie was subjected to relentless calls and messages from two numbers that she believed belonged to his parents. She also received messages from individuals claiming to be his friends, including a photo of him with her name inscribed on his chest. “You don’t know how to process that at all,” she said. “It was all a blur.” She hoped reporting the harassment would put an end to the ordeal.
The Police Investigation
By September 2020, Jodie had filed a complaint with the police and the Ulster University, where Garfield had enrolled following their meeting. The harassment persisted, prompting her to provide additional statements to officers. In December 2020, Garfield turned the tables, accusing Jodie of harassment and claiming she had faked calls and messages. He refused to hand over his phone for scrutiny, leaving Jodie in a state of shock when she was arrested.
“It wasn’t until they put me in the car and were explaining my rights that I realized I was being arrested,” she said. “I was just so frustrated… I can’t believe they’re taking his word on this.” Jodie was fingerprinted, searched, and placed in a cell before being released on bail. Her phone was seized for three months until forensic tests confirmed Garfield had used an app to generate the calls.
The Outcome and Aftermath
Garfield was eventually jailed in February 2022 after pleading guilty to stalking and perverting the course of justice. The court heard he had targeted a 21-year-old woman in 2019 with persistent messages after they studied together in Manchester. Jodie’s case was then reviewed, and she saw Garfield sentenced to 19 months in prison, with an additional 19 months on supervised licence.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson acknowledged the “shortcomings” in how Jodie’s case was managed. “Officers acted in good faith based on the information they had at the time,” he noted, adding that Garfield had “intended to portray himself as a victim to make the real victim look like an offender.” Jodie now works with the PSNI to improve their systems, but she remains critical of Ulster University’s handling of her complaint. “In the end, he got a slap on the wrist,” she said. “He got banned from campus when ever…”
