A former BBC presenter originally from Nottingham who was convicted of tormenting Jeremy Vine and several other people could face an open hearing to decide if he should be let out of prison. Alex Belfield, who lived in Mapperley before recently being sent back behind bars, received his first jail term in September 2022 for harassing four people. The judge handed down a sentence of five and a half years, with half to be served under supervision in the community, meaning Belfield would have walked free in June 2025. He was sent back to prison in February 2026 after uploading several YouTube videos in which he persisted in making various statements about his convictions. Katie Hopkins, a controversial media personality and friend of Belfield, recently stated in footage that Belfield would serve the rest of his term behind bars, which would last until early 2028. However, paperwork released on April 23 now shows that Belfield will face a Parole Board hearing to decide if he should be released again, and unusually, that proceeding could be opened to the public. Belfield held a position at BBC Radio Leeds before leaving, which he blamed on a disagreement over salary, before eventually turning to YouTube. His channel initially featured theatre reviews and light-hearted humorous material before Belfield started pushing conspiracy theories, bigoted and sexist jokes, and claims of a BBC witchhunt against him. In his September 2022 sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Saini stated that he was not imposing sentences because Belfield made comments about the BBC or about matters of public interest. The sentences reflected the repeated and personal harassment of the victims and not views on any issue of public interest. He noted that Belfield was entitled to hold and express views but was not entitled to destroy the personal lives of victims through online harassment. Initially held at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire, Belfield has recently been moved and is now detained at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire. There are three classifications applicable to prisoners such as Belfield who are sent back for breaching licence conditions. A fixed-term recall involves their return to jail for 56 days before being released on licence until their sentence ends. Standard and indeterminate recalls both involve a prisoner’s case being automatically referred back to the Parole Board after 28 days, or within 12 months of their previous Parole Board assessment. Most parole hearings take place in private, yet the Chair of the Parole Board, Alexandra Marks, argues that Belfield’s hearing should be held in public. Ms Marks stated in her assessment of a request for a public hearing that this was a noteworthy case and an unusual feature was that, except for the victim previously known to Belfield, people were selected online and targeted for serious abuse. She noted that all the offences were committed online. She stated that Belfield was released on licence on 12 June 2025 and was recalled on 16 February 2026. She described the circumstances of his time on licence as complex and layered and his recall was because of cumulative concerns over an extended period. She concluded that the risk assessment and management of Belfield, particularly following his conduct whilst on licence and circumstances of his recall, were such that public confidence would be assisted by scrutiny of the Parole Board’s decision making. Those involved in the case, along with members of the public and media, have until Thursday to share their opinions on whether the hearing should be public, after which Ms Marks will make a final ruling. Belfield directed his behaviour towards two BBC presenters, a videographer and a theatre blogger, and was additionally found guilty of simple stalking relating to BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine and theatre blogger Philip Dehany. He also had permanent restraining orders made concerning four other female victims, though he was cleared at trial of harassing them. The upcoming High Court hearing in Mr Dehany’s pursuit of £45,000 in compensation from Belfield is set for April 29.