Arson and a rat in the post: how a stalker targeted her comic hero

Ken Dodd, one of Britain's most enduring comedians, was subjected to a 10-month ordeal by a stalker who tried to burn down his house and sent a dead rat through the post to his long-term partner, a court was told yesterday.

Ruth Tagg, an obsessive fan, pushed burning rags through the letterbox of Mr Dodd's home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, the judge at Preston Crown Court was told.

She sent him six indecent photographs and 12 letters and cards, all of which were opened by his partner, Anne Jones. She also dispatched the dead rat and three T-shirts bearing offensive messages to Miss Jones, whom she saw as a rival for Mr Dodd's affection.

Tagg, 34, of Bedminster, Bristol, pleaded guilty yesterday to harassing Miss Jones and to arson while being reckless as to whether life was endangered. She was remanded in custody for psychiatric reports.

Her attempt to set Mr Dodd's house alight on 11 October 2001 caused £11,000 of damage to the ground floor of the farmhouse, where the comedian was born in 1931, the court was told.

Tagg knew Mr Dodd, 71, and Miss Jones were not in the house at the time so a more serious charge of arson with intent to endanger life was dropped by prosecutors, the court was told. She also sent the various items to Mr Dodd and Miss Jones between July 2001 and May 2002.

She admitted stalking the comedian by attending several of his performances and sitting in a prominent place. She was arrested in New Brighton, Wirral, on 4 May, the day Mr Dodd was staging his Laughter Show in the town.

Mr Dodd looked pale and gaunt when he arrived in Preston for the case, in which he was expected to give evidence. In the event, Tagg's admission of guilt spared him from testifying.

The effects of the case on Mr Dodd are a contrast to his abiding persona as a clown of the stage, which led to being appointed OBE 21 years ago.

He had been the eccentric of his family since childhood, when he would walk backwards all the way home from school to prove it could be done and rode his bicycle with his eyes shut for the same reason – although with less success. He hit a kerb and plunged over the handlebars in an accident that gave him his protruding teeth – such a valuable comic asset that he later insured them for £10,000.

Mr Dodd has also become familiar with the precincts of crown courts.

In 1989 he was charged with 11 counts of tax evasion and was said to have stashed away £700,000 in off-shore accounts, and in shoeboxes under his bed.

A judge rejected the suggestion that Mr Dodd's heart condition could have contributed to an alleged oversight. Eventually, during the five-week trial, his defence counsel, George Carman QC, conjured an image of him as a shambolic oddball with a poor grasp of accounting.

For his part, Mr Dodd joked with the jury while in the stand, peppering his testimonials with light-hearted anecdotes and gags. The judge was frequently forced to remind the King of the Diddy Men that the court was "not a music hall".

Mr Dodd was acquitted, though he later had to pay an £800,000 tax demand which, with legal bills, nearly drove him to bankruptcy.

He has lived with Miss Jones, a former dancer and airline personnel manager, for 13 years. Just like Anita Boutin, who died of a brain tumour in 1977 after a 24-year engagement to Mr Dodd, she carries the title of fiancée, not wife.

She assists him with his business affairs, sings in his laughter shows and put up a surety when he stood trial. He has told friends that she has been his "key to happiness".

Remanding Tagg in custody, Mr Justice Morland said: "Clearly, Miss Tagg needs detailed psychiatric assessment. I'm satisfied from what I know at present that it would not be practical for that assessment to be carried out except when she is remanded in custody and I am satisfied that all the evidence indicates she remains a potential risk, certainly to Miss Jones, possibly to Mr Dodd and others."

Mr Justice Morland did not set a date for sentencing but said he hoped it would take place before Easter.