Convicted murderer Daniel Bannister flouted restraining order AGAIN – turning up at terrified singer’s home as she protects son Bear, 8
Cheryl Tweedy’s nightmare stalker is back behind bars after brazenly flouting a restraining order by turning up at a house where he believed the terrified star was staying.
Daniel Bannister, 50, who killed a man in a “sustained” attack at a homeless shelter, visited the Buckinghamshire property last week despite being banned from going anywhere near the Girls Aloud singer.
The convicted killer – who has repeatedly left Cheryl, 41, feeling “violated, terrified and unsafe” in her own home – now faces up to five years in prison for his latest breach.
Neighbours at his bail hostel in Brixton described the wild-haired loner as “paranoid” and said he was “just smiling” when police swooped to arrest him.
‘I’ve come to get Cheryl’
The court heard how Bannister’s sinister obsession with the X Factor judge began in January 2024 when he first turned up at her mansion, announcing through the intercom: “It’s Dan. I’ve come to get Cheryl.”
The star, who was home with son Bear, eight, immediately panicked and called her security guard after spotting the stranger on her doorbell camera.
But the delusional stalker couldn’t stay away. He returned in July, bizarrely asking through the intercom: “I’m really thirsty. Can I have a glass of wine please?”
Prosecutor Datta Ryan told the court that Bannister’s visits had made Cheryl feel “violated and terrified and unsafe in her home” – but still he wouldn’t stop.
Christmas horror after Liam’s death
In perhaps his cruellest act yet, Bannister returned to Cheryl’s property on December 10 last year – just three weeks after the grieving star had attended the funeral of her ex, One Direction’s Liam Payne, who fell to his death in Buenos Aires.
In a heartbreaking statement to police, Cheryl revealed her terror: “I immediately panicked when I saw Daniel. I was in a state of alarm and shock. I feared for my safety immediately and I feared for my child’s safety.
The distraught mum added: “He was due back from the cinema and I didn’t want him to see Daniel. I want to protect my child from any harm.”
Despite being jailed for four months in September 2024 and handed a three-year restraining order, Bannister was back at it again after his release.
The twisted mind of a killer
Bannister’s lawyer Colin Mackrell revealed the disturbing depths of his client’s delusions, telling the court he had “formed in his mind an affectionate view of Ms Tweedy and he believes that was somehow reciprocated.”
Incredibly, the lawyer claimed Bannister returned to the property after his arrest because he wanted to “reassure her.”
The court heard Bannister is a “serious musician” who posts videos of himself performing online – but his artistic pretensions mask a violent past.
Brutal homeless shelter killing
In 2012, Bannister was jailed for 30 months for the manslaughter of Rajendra Patel, 48, at a YMCA shelter in Croydon, South London.
CCTV captured the horrific “sustained” attack on February 21, showing Bannister punching and kicking his victim, who suffered bruising and swelling to his face, a broken nose and a fractured ankle.
Mr Patel died 15 days later from a pulmonary thromboembolism while being treated in hospital for his injuries.
Bannister pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Kingston Crown Court and was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.
‘He can’t stay away’
Despite multiple jail sentences and restraining orders, prosecutors say Bannister simply “can’t stay away” from Cheryl.
He was initially jailed for 16 weeks in March this year at Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, with District Judge Arvind Sharma noting that Bannister knew the singer was “very distressed and upset” by his behaviour.
A new indefinite restraining order now prevents him from contacting Cheryl or entering any building where he knows or believes she might be – but given his track record, the star has little reason to feel safe.
Neighbours describe ‘paranoid’ loner
At the Brixton bail hostel Bannister gave as his address, neighbours painted a picture of an unstable character.
One 35-year-old man revealed: “When the police arrested him he was just smiling. He was paranoid.”
The arrest came just a day after Bannister had called police himself to accuse a neighbour of trying to break into his home.
Back in the dock
Bannister appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court last Saturday where he was remanded in custody. He returned yesterday to plead guilty to a single count of breaching the restraining order.
District Judge Davinder Sandhu refused bail and sent the case to Reading Crown Court for sentencing on September 23.
The charge stated that Bannister attended an address on June 19 where he “reasonably believed or reasonably suspected” Cheryl to be residing.
A mother’s fear
For Cheryl, who has tried to shield young Bear from the trauma, Bannister’s relentless campaign has turned her life into a living nightmare.
The star described Liam Payne’s death as “indescribably painful” and voiced fears about protecting their son – fears that have only intensified with Bannister’s continued harassment.
Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson Kathleen O’Callaghan said: “The unwanted attention of offenders like Daniel Bannister can leave victims feeling alarmed and fearful.”
She added: “Bannister plainly disregarded a previous restraining order, and the Crown Prosecution Service argued these deliberate breaches were made more serious by the fact that they were committed so shortly after the order was made.”
Five years behind bars?
As Bannister awaits sentencing, Cheryl can only hope that this time the courts will keep him locked up for good.
With a maximum sentence of five years for breaching the restraining order, there’s a chance the singer might finally get some respite from her tormentor.
But for a killer who “can’t stay away” and believes his twisted affections are reciprocated, even a lengthy jail term might not be enough to end Cheryl’s ordeal.
The star continues to live in fear, knowing that somewhere out there is a man who killed before – and who seems utterly incapable of leaving her alone.
Image credit: Photo by Georges Biard, taken in May 2014 of Cheryl Cole at the Cannes Film Festival. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution‑ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY‑SA 3.0)
Image page: View on Wikimedia Commons – “Cheryl Cole Cannes 2014.jpg”
