Knightsbridge property developer 'bombarded Game of Thrones actress with gifts and 928 roses after dumping her when she refused to pose for compromising photos'
- George Philippedes, 43, accused of 'pursuing' actress with 'unwanted attention'
- He asked Katie Alexander Thom, 31, to send compromising pictures last year
- Magistrates in Brighton told pair had been in a two and a half year relationship
- The businessman had earlier pleaded not guilty to harassment without violence
A Knightsbridge property developer 'bombarded a Game of Thrones actress with gifts and 928 roses after dumping her when she refused to pose for compromising photos', a court was told today.
George Philippedes, 43, who lives in Belgravia, even paid for actress Katie Alexander Thom, 31, to have acting lessons at a top drama school in the US as he tried to win her back.
The Greek property developer sent her one rose for every day of their relationship - without leaving a name or a note.
George Philippedes, 43, pictured left, arriving at Brighton Magistrates Court this morning for his trial on harassment charges involving Game of Thrones actress Katie Alexander-Thom
The court was told the huge bunch of roses sent to Miss Alexander Thom, pictured above - one for every day of their relationship - had no sender name and no message
Today Philippedes appeared before Brighton Magistrates accused of 'pursuing' the actress with 'unwanted and unwelcome' attention amounting to harassment without violence between May and December last year.The businessman - who recently renovated a luxury art deco apartment in Sloane Square now worth up to £8m - pleaded not guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing.
Magistrates in Brighton were told Philippedes, who lives in a £1.5m apartment in Belgravia, and Miss Alexander-Thom had met in 2016 and been in a two and a half year relationship.
Due to their lifestyles they had never lived together but in February last year Philippedes asked the actress to send him compromising pictures of herself.
Roger Booth, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant asked her to send a photo or video in a compromising position which she was not happy about doing so.'
The court heard Philippedes subsequently dumped her by text which made her feel 'worthless.'The pair rekindled their romance but after she finally called time on their relationship in April he continued to bombard her with texts, emails, gifts and letters up to 16 pages long.
Appearing in court via video link the HBO Game of Thrones actress, who also stars in Sky One's Brave New World, said: 'He was phoning, texting, sending emails and letters. He sent me 57 text messages, a handful of voice notes.
'He sent 10 emails without me responding. He sent four or five letters between 4 - 16 pages long and he sent me self help books in the post.'
Brighton Magistrates Court was told Miss Alexander Thom had wanted to attend an acting course in the US but was concerned about how much it would cost.
But when she contacted the acting school they told her she had been awarded a grant to cover the fees of the course.
She flew over and attended the course but when she returned she discovered she had not been awarded a scholarship or grant and the fees had instead been paid by Philippedes.
Miss Alexander-Thom, left, arriving at court this morning as a witness for the trial. She said she once came home from work and found 928 roses waiting for her
Miss Alexander Thom, who appears in the seventh episode of Game of Thrones' season six, 'The Broken Man', said she came home from work and found 928 roses waiting for her.
The court was told the huge bunch of roses - one for every day of their relationship - had no sender name and no message.
The actress said: 'It scared me I knew it wasn't from my boyfriend so I contacted the florist and they eventually told me they were from Aristo Homes which is George's company but sent by a different name. It was then I contacted the police the first time.
'The roses were a real tipping point in what was a continual stream of invasion into my privacy. I felt very targeted and was distancing myself from my friends and it was having a negative impact on work and my relationship.'
Asked what she did Miss Alexander Thom said: 'I'm an actress.'
Brighton Magistrates Court was told Miss Alexander-Thom had wanted to attend an acting course in Los Angeles but was concerned about how much it would cost.
But when she contacted the acting school they told her she had already been awarded a grant to cover the fees of the week-long course.
She flew over and attended the course but when she returned she discovered she had not been awarded a scholarship or grant and the $1,300 fees had instead been paid by Philippedes.
Miss Alexander Thom, left, pictured with Gemma Whelan, who plays Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones' sixth season, episode seven, 'The Broken Man'
She told the court: 'I felt deeply deceived. I felt annoyed that I'd been lied to. I felt very nervous - like someone was playing the master puppeteer in my life without me having any knowledge of it and it made me feel like I couldn't trust anyone.'
The court heard Philippedes also sent her a message saying he sent a message claiming she was 'possessed by a spirit.' She said: 'I felt very threatened by that.'
Miss Alexander-Thom said she once came home from work and found 928 roses waiting for her.
The court was told the huge bunch of roses - one for every day of their relationship - had no sender name and no message.
The actress said: 'It scared me. I knew it wasn't from my boyfriend so I contacted the florist and they eventually told me they were from Aristo Homes which is George's company but sent by a different name. That was very alarming to me. It was then I contacted the police the first time.
'The roses were a real tipping point in what was a continual stream of invasion into my privacy. I felt very targeted and was distancing myself from my friends and it was having a negative impact on work and my relationship.'
Asked what she did Miss Alexander-Thom said: 'I'm an actress.'
The court heard after the couple split up Philippedes delivered a repaired bowl - a family heirloom which had earlier been broken by his two sons, aged eight and nine - to her home in Sussex.
Miss Alexander-Thom said that although he left the bowl at the gate she felt unnerved by his delivering the bowl to her property.
When he continued to bombard her with emails she replied to him saying: 'George, enough is enough. There is nothing more for you to say to me. I have moved on and I'm in relationship with someone else.'
She demanded he stop emailing and writing to her and told him to move on with his life and wished him 'Good luck.'
Under cross examination Miss Alexander-Thom said she did meet up with Philippedes after their relationship ended because she was worried about his deteriorating mental health.
After meeting him she admitted inviting him to have dinner with her and her friends at the luxury boutique hotel, The Mandrake, because he was so distressed.
She said: 'He was crying and very emotional and I felt very sorry for him so I invited him. He was saying he could not eat or drink or take care of himself.'
Miss Alexander-Thom said she wanted him to stop messaging her adding: 'You're driving me f***ing crazy. I don't want you to messaging me telling me you're horny.'
She told him she was sick of his selfish ways and wanted nothing to do with him until he could see past his own nose.
Miss Alexander-Thom is a model turned actress who appeared in a series of films, and commercials and TV productions including the popular HBO series and Sky One's Brave New World.
Philipeddes, a Greek-born property developer and director of Aristo and Decorim, recently oversaw the major refurbishment of the three-bedroom Sloane Square apartment.
The property, situated at the heart of Knightsbridge, is now being offered for rent to the super-rich at more than £17,000 a month.
The trial is currently ongoing and is expected to conclude today.
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