Emily maitlis stalker jailed after causing decades of 'misery'

Edward Vines, 49, was given the prison sentence after breaching the restraining order for a 12th time. The defendant sent Ms Maitlis's mother two letters saying he was in love with the

BBC journalist and said he was "distressed" when she ceased contact with him. Sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, a judge described Vines's behaviour as a

"life-long obsession". The pair attended Cambridge University together in the 1980s and Vines has stalked Ms Maitlis ever since. He was previously jailed for three years in 2016

after breaking a restraining order. However, he continued to write to Ms Maitlis from prison, resulting in a further 45 month sentence. Speaking in court today following the latest breach of

the restraining order, Judge Stuart Rafferty QC said:  “For whatever reason, you have an obsession with Emily Maitlis and it is your belief that you have been wronged by her and you have

been wronged by the law. “You are convinced that you are in love with her and, no doubt, you think she is in love with you. “I am afraid I have to sentence you on the basis that you are a

long way from any reality dawning on you. READ MOE: EMILY MAITLIS: HOW BBC JOURNALIST 'FEARS STALKER MAY NEVER STOP' “Your head is somewhere else and you’re having to think about

things that are just ludicrous, like ‘how do you get in and out of your front door’ and ‘how are they getting back from school?’ “It’s not that you think everyone is out to kill you. You

recognise it as paranoid. But it doesn’t make it any easier." In his sentencing earlier today, Judge Rafferty added that Ms Maitlis would never "live a free life" because of

Vines's obsessive behaviour. He told the stalker: “She can’t live a free life because of you. She is forever looking over her shoulder to see if you are there. “If you keep breaching

the order, all the court can do is lock you up. “This at the moment has to be treated as a life-long obsession by you. All the court can do is try to protect Ms Maitlis and her family as

best as it can. “Until you can take the step to stop being the unrequited 19-year-old that you were at the start of all of this, nothing will ever change.”