Millionaire given restraining order for stalking Liverpool FC Women player
A millionaire has been handed a two-year restraining order and an 18-month community order for stalking Liverpool FC Women player Marie Hobinger, reports BritPanorama.
Mangal Dalal, 42, was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for stalking the player through a campaign of sexually explicit Instagram messages. The investment worker from Marylebone in West London received the order after admitting the offence at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court in December.
District Judge Hina Rai ordered him to pay £650 in costs alongside a £114 victim surcharge, bringing his total financial penalty to £764.
The court was told that Hobinger, aged 24, experienced significant distress due to Dalal’s unwanted contact, which forced her to alter her daily routine and left her feeling anxious in her own home. Dalal must also complete 25 days of rehabilitation as part of his sentence.
Between January 27 and February 16, 2024, Dalal sent the midfielder inappropriate messages, including images of his underwear and declarations of wanting to have children with her. Prosecutor David Burns noted that he expressed a desire to remove her shorts and sent his mobile number and postcode, inviting her to visit.
The messages also contained details of Hobinger’s address, which heightened concerns for her safety. Following the incident, Liverpool FC assigned a safety officer to accompany the player to fixtures after she reported the contact to the club. Dalal later travelled from London to Manchester to attend a Liverpool Women’s Super League fixture against Manchester City, where he was identified near the pitch as the match concluded.
In her victim impact statement, Hobinger described how the ordeal disrupted her sleep and left her fearful within her own home, where she lives alone. “Any noise I fear the male may have found out where I lived. When it is dark I found myself looking over my shoulder,” she said. Her professional life was also affected, with Hobinger stating the stalking “affected my performance on the pitch” and made her feel insecure when approached by supporters for photographs.
The court details indicated that the stress triggered a flare-up of a pre-existing skin condition. Hobinger condemned the broader treatment of women in football, asserting that it is unacceptable for the sport to be “sexualised and disrespected.” She expressed, “No woman, no matter what her job, should have to put up with this kind of behaviour.”
Defence barrister Daniel Lister explained that his client, a father of two with no previous convictions, had been experiencing a manic episode with psychotic features linked to his bipolar disorder during the offending period. The court heard that Dalal had been reported walking barefoot through London streets and delivering sermons to passersby, prompting his former wife to seek medical intervention.
Judge Rai acknowledged the serious nature of Dalal’s conduct, despite its occurrence via social media, highlighting his previous good character and the medical evidence presented. The restraining order prohibits Dalal from visiting Liverpool’s training ground at Melwood or attending matches at St Helens or Anfield.
In a dramatic reminder of the darker sides of fame, this case underscores the vulnerability athletes may face, particularly women, in the public eye — a reality that many in sport continue to grapple with amid the shifting dynamics of societal respect and professional integrity.
