Emily Maitlis stalker “will continue to brood and write letters”

A stalker who has had a “persistent and obsessive fixation” with Emily Maitlis for more than 25 years has written her multiple letters from jail, has heard a court.

Jurors were told that Edward Vines expressed his “unrequited love” for the BBC Newsnight presenter in recent letters.

Nottingham Crown Court heard she would “continue brooding and writing prison letters” unless she told him about “her behavior in 1990”.

The 51-year-old denies six charges.

Vines is charged with six counts of attempting to breach a restraining order between May 2020 and September 2021 by writing from HMP Nottingham.

The court heard that Vines attempted to violate her restraining order – not to contact Ms. Maitlis, her husband, children or parents – by writing to Ms. Maitlis and her mother.

However, all six letters were intercepted by prison staff.

Jurors were also told that Vines had “systematically and with increasing frequency” violated two separate restraining orders imposed on him in 2002 and 2009.

Attorney Ian Way said the case had a “long and unhappy history”.

He said: “His compulsive behavior towards him led to a conviction against him in West London Magistrates’ Court on 19 September 2002 for engaging in conduct amounting to harassment.”

He said Vines pleaded guilty and was the subject of a restraining order banning him from having any contact with Ms. Maitlis.

After sending Ms Maitlis two emails in 2008, a new restraining order was issued to include Ms Maitlis, her husband, children and parents in 2009.

He now has a total of 12 violations to his name and seven separate judicial proceedings, excluding the current alleged offenses, the court heard.

Speaking about the contents of a six-page handwritten letter written by Vines in December last year, Way said he wrote about how he felt Ms. Maitlis owed him an answer about what had happened between them at college in 1990. .

Mr Way added: “He expressed his unrequited love for her and criticized her for not answering her constant questions.

“He accused her of lying about him in a statement that led everyone to take his side to his detriment, claiming that he had been misrepresented in the past and could therefore not appeal.”

Addressing the jury, he said: “It’s not reasonable to constantly try to communicate with someone who doesn’t want to hear from you.”

Mr Way added: “The prosecution case is incredibly simple.

“It’s not about being harassed. It’s if she has an excuse to violate the order and the crown says she doesn’t.”

The process continues.

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