Man accused of following Vancouver woman pleads guilty to unrelated charges

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A video of a woman being followed several blocks in Vancouver went viral when it was posted in March. Now the man who is believed to have followed her has pleaded guilty, but not to any charges related to the incident.

Mohammed Majidpour was originally charged with criminal harassment in the March 17 incident. He was also charged with criminal harassment related to another incident that happened four days earlier. Charges of mischief, break and enter, assault with a weapon, and uttering threats were also laid against Majidpour, in connection with other reported run-ins in Vancouver’s downtown core that week.

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Earlier this year, Jamie Coutts pulled out her phone to record a stranger she says walked behind her as she made her way through the streets of the city.

She was running an errand in the Tinseltown area around 5:30 p.m. when she became aware of the man’s presence.

“I felt somebody was walking really closely behind me. So, out of instinct, I just veered off the path so he could pass, but instead of passing he just stopped and stared at me. So I said, ‘You are walking too close to me,’ and he just looked at me, and so I just kept walking,” she says, adding the man followed her for 40 minutes.

Coutts recorded a seven-minute video which she shared online. At one point you can see something in the man’s hand that he ends up tucking into his bag.

Eventually, Coutts approaches a group of skateboarders and sits down with them. The man is then seen hesitating before walking away.

Majidpour was found guilty of mischief, uttering threats, and assault with a weapon. He did not plead guilty to harassment.

Majidpour was sentenced to one day in jail, according to a media representative for the BC Prosecution Service, Dan McLaughlin.

He received credit for 180 days in custody pre-sentencing and was placed on probation for 12 months.

Majidpour is a 33-year-old man with no fixed address, according to a statement from the Vancouver Police Department.

“This case generated significant attention on social media and in the mainstream news after a video was posted online last month,” said Constable Tania Visintin. “We understand the incident caused anxiety in the community, and we’re pleased with the outcome of the investigation.”
Majidpour was involved in several incidents reported to the VPD that happened between March 13 and March 19. He was seen following the young woman on video on March 17.

All other charges have been stayed after the sentencing hearing on Friday.

– With files from Denise Wong