Actress Eubha Akilade and her sister, writer and director Eilidh Akilade, were left terrified after a stalker bombarded them with hundreds of racist, highly sexualised messages and tracked one of them down in London, the East Anglian Daily Times reported.
The Bottom Line
- Gary Summers, 57, sent hundreds of abusive emails and tracked down the two mixed-race sisters between January 2024 and October 2025.
- Eubha Akilade has appeared on television in the BBC series Shetland, while her sister Eilidh Akilade works as a writer and director.
- Summers received a 30-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside a £2,500 fine and £1,000 in court costs and a statutory charge at Ipswich Crown Court.
The Campaign of Abuse and Arrest
Gary Summers, 57, travelled to London to spy on one of the victims and escalated his harassment by posting a parcel containing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘We stand with Israel’ alongside a handwritten note signed ‘Kind regards’. Between January 2024 and October 2025, Summers bombarded both women with hundreds of emails. Recorder Jeremy Benson described the communications at Ipswich Crown Court as “thoroughly disgusting, revolting”. Summers was arrested last October and admitted two counts of racially aggravated stalking that caused serious alarm or distress.
Targeting Two Sisters in the Arts
The victims are both mixed-race women. Eubha Akilade is an actress and director known for her television work, including the BBC series Shetland. Eilidh Akilade is a writer and director. Court proceedings revealed that Summers sent both women explicit and racist messages. He told Eubha Akilade that “as a mixed race woman, you will have less virtue than say a typical white woman”—a remark she described as “bizarre and upsetting”. He further claimed she would be treated as a “second class citizen” because of her race and stated their mother should regret bringing mixed-race children into the world. To Eilidh Akilade, Summers wrote that watching an interview of her on YouTube was “one of the most arousing and blissful experiences of my life”.
Impact on Daily Life and Career
In a victim impact statement submitted to the court, Eilidh Akilade detailed the psychological toll of the harassment. “His voice became part of my internal monologue, which really impacted my self-esteem,” she wrote, explaining that she began avoiding social media—a platform her career relies on—and stopped going out, writing, “My world became increasingly small.” The situation peaked when Summers worked out where Eubha Akilade lived and began stalking her in person before dispatching the parcel.
Sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court
Authorities identified Summers, of Kings Road, Bungay, through CCTV footage and DNA evidence linked to the parcel. Addressing Summers directly in court on Friday, Recorder Benson stated, “You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself,” at which point Summers hung his head and nodded. Recorder Benson handed down a 30-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. Additionally, Summers was ordered to pay a £2,500 fine, £1,000 in court costs, and a statutory charge, bringing his total financial penalty to £3,687. The court also banned him from contacting either victim until otherwise directed.
