Manchester United defender tells court Susanne Ibru repeatedly turned up at his Cheshire home
Rio Ferdinand has told a court he was left "angry and upset" by a woman who repeatedly turned up at his home.
The 32-year-old Manchester United and England defender was giving evidence in the trial of Susanne Ibru, 38, accused at Macclesfield magistrates court of harassing him and his family.
Ibru, formerly of Peckham, south London, but now of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, allegedly turned up at the footballer's home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire three times between February and June last year, the court heard. She denies the charge and is representing herself in the proceedings.
Ian Davies, prosecuting, said the first incident happened in the early hours of 21 February. Ferdinand and his wife, Rebecca, were asleep when she woke him after hearing the buzzer of the intercom at the entrance gate to their home.
The footballer told district judge Nicholas Sanders he went to the bathroom window and saw a figure wearing a hooded top. He said he shouted down to see who it was and the figure looked up and he was able to see it was Ibru.
Asked by Davies how he felt, Ferdinand 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."
The player called his club's security staff, who alerted police, and then watched on his CCTV as Ibru walked away. She was stopped by police at the end of the road, the court heard.
Ibru returned to the house on 16 June, the court was told. Ferdinand said he saw her on the road opposite his house as he arrived home at about 8pm. He called the police and decided to speak to her to ensure she did not leave before they arrived.
"My main concern was to keep her there until the police arrived," he said. "I asked why she had come to my house and she told me 'things needed to be resolved', and that they couldn't be resolved until we spoke. I told her I would speak to her then but she said it would take a couple of hours." He said he had no idea why she wanted to speak to him.
Davies asked the footballer whether the woman gave any reason for going to his house as opposed to the club, the training ground or the Old Trafford stadium. Ferdinand said Ibru told him she was "not being a fan ? Don't associate me with being a fan, I'm more than that".
The second visit caused him to consider upgrading security at his house. "Again, I was disturbed," he said. "I had been out of the house and it really alarmed me [that she was there]."
Police attended and Ibru was given a formal warning to leave the couple alone. Her third alleged visit came just two days later, in the early hours of 18 June.
Again the footballer and his wife were woken by the buzzer from their gates so he called the police and Ibru was arrested. "The safety of my family is as huge to me as it is to anyone," he said. "Then you have people at your door talking about things that don't make sense. You want to be left alone with your family."
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