A major Hollywood producer lost his job after stalking an actress, but the terrifying thing she found on her car still makes her paranoid

Hollywood producer Kevin Proctor has pleaded guilty to stalking actress and model Nicola Holt, receiving a 12-month restraining order and a hefty fine following a terrifying ordeal that left Holt living in perpetual paranoia. Proctor, 47, was ordered to pay a £505 ($666) fine by Manchester Magistrate’s Court after he admitted to a charge of stalking, which included directing someone to plant a tracking device on a vehicle Holt was using, as per Deadline.

The most chilling aspect of this case is exactly how Holt discovered the extent of the harassment. She was using her partner’s car because her own vehicle had broken down. She found a magnetic tracking device hidden behind the number plate. Holt, known for her roles in shows like Viewpoint and Hollyoaks, immediately knew something was terribly wrong.

Holt recounted the moment she found the device, explaining how terrifying it was. “I was shaking. My heart dropped. I ripped off the tracker because it’s a magnetic one, and I ran back inside and did not stop crying,” she said. She drove straight to the local police station, which was closed, and just sat in the car park crying.

That level of violation must be unbearable

The relationship between the actress and the producer started professionally, then turned romantic, before Proctor’s behavior took a dark turn. Holt first met Proctor on social media during the pandemic, and he gave her freelance work on the true-crime documentary The Never Ending Murder, which his company Studio Pow co-produced. After she completed other work for him, including his short film Lapushka!, the professional connection developed into a romantic relationship.

They saw each other regularly while Proctor was busy filming the troubled biopic Midas Man in Liverpool. However, Holt ended the relationship after she discovered he already had a girlfriend. While they tried to maintain a professional connection and discuss future opportunities, Proctor’s behavior completely changed when Holt started dating another man.

Holt started seeing Proctor’s car everywhere. But it was only after she confided in her boyfriend, who questioned how Proctor could possibly know their movements, that the tracking device was found. Holt immediately filed a police report, and Proctor was arrested.

Proctor initially denied the charge of stalking involving serious alarm and distress, but he later pleaded guilty to the lesser stalking charge on Thursday. His barrister, Aisling Byrnes, spoke in court, claiming the incident was isolated and out of character. Byrnes also argued that Proctor’s autism meant he struggled to make rational decisions.

In an industry already rife with prejudices and discrimination, Holt warned other women in the screen industry to avoid falling for the producer’s “nice guy trap.” She said her “paranoia is really heightened” now, noting that even seeing an unusual car outside her home can trigger intense anxiety. In her victim impact statement, Holt powerfully summarized the damage, stating: “Not feeling safe in your own home is a violation and that’s what these brutal, thoughtless actions have done.”

Proctor’s barrister confirmed that his life has been “turned upside down” by the events. He now reportedly works in a freezer factory and lives with his parents, not unlike how one Oscar-winning actor finds himself homeless following sexual assault allegations.