A woman who repeatedly turned up at footballer Rio Ferdinand’s Cheshire home has been convicted of harassment.
Susanne Ibru, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, twice disturbed the Manchester United player and his wife at night, claiming she needed to speak to him.
She was convicted at Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court in her absence.
Ibru left court after being told Mr Ferdinand’s wife was excused from giving evidence as she had given birth to their third child at the weekend.
Mr Ferdinand, 32, told the court he was left “angry and upset” when Ibru repeatedly turned up at his home.
Ibru, 38, of Queens Road, had denied harassing the ex-England captain and his family.
The court heard she turned up at his home in Alderley Edge three times between February and June last year.
Ian Davies, for the prosecution, said the first incident happened in the early hours of 21 February.
He told the court Mr and Mrs Ferdinand were asleep in bed when she woke him after hearing the buzzer of the intercom at the entrance gate to their home.
The footballer said he went to the bathroom window to see who was at the gates and saw a figure wearing a hooded top in the darkness.
He said he shouted down to see who it was and the figure looked up and he was able to see it was Ms Ibru.
He said: “At first I was angry and upset but then disturbed, really, because I have got a young family and this was not the time or the place to be coming to speak to me.”
Ms Ibru, formerly of Peckham, south London, conducted her own defence.
She said that she had been to Mr Ferdinand’s home about four or five times over the past four years.
She asked him: “Do you think that amounts to harassment?”
The footballer replied: “Yes.”
Mr Ferdinand then said: “I called the police because I didn’t want you at my house.”
As he left the court, she said: “I’ll see you soon, bye.”
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