A STALKER who became obsessed with BBC presenter Emily Maitlis 30 years after she snubbed him has been jailed for his 20th order breach.
Edward Vines, 51, continued to indulge his "persistent and obsessive fixation" with the ex-Newsnight journalist, even from prison.
The stalker, who met Emily at Cambridge University, was banned from contacting the presenter, her husband, kids and her mum Marion.
He was jailed for three years in February 2020 after breaching an order imposed in 2009.
But he attempted to write to Emily eight times from jail between May 31, 2020, and December 23 last year.
The stalker has now been jailed for a further eight years after being found guilty of eight counts of breaching the order – the 20th time he has done so.
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Judge Mark Watson told Vines: "In my judgment, you have shown breath-taking persistence and a complete disregard for the order and the proceedings you were awaiting.
"This is just the latest chapter in a much longer history.
"It seems that having left university and gone your separate ways, you then ruminated over what could have been.
"The existence of the order is meaningless to you.
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"The only thing stopping you from contacting her is your continued imprisonment.
"It is an obsession from which you have been unable to escape."
Nottingham Crown Court was told how Vines had "systematically and with increasing frequency" breached two separate restraining orders imposed on him in 2002 and 2009.
In letters from jail, he wrote how he would "continue to brood and to write letters in prison" as he confessed his "unrequited love" for Emily.
He also blamed the presenter, who famously interviewed Prince Andrew over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, for not admitting to being "attracted to him" as this had "resulted in her telling falsehoods against him".
Vines also attempted to send letters to her mum Marion – with all notes intercepted by the prison authorities.
Ian Way, prosecuting, said: "This case has a long and unhappy history. For a period in excess of three decades, the defendant has demonstrated a persistent and obsessive fixation with the BBC journalist and broadcaster, Emily Maitlis whom he met at University in the 1990s.
"His compulsive behaviour towards her resulted in a conviction against him before the West London Magistrates' Court on September 19 2002 for pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to harassment."
The prosecutor continued: "His persistent behaviour towards her resulted in a conviction against him. That resulted in the first of two restraining orders imposed against him.
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"Since that time he has, the prosecution assert, systematically, and with increasing frequency, attempted to breach that order.
"He can't let go of something that he perceived was a wrong to him 30 years in the past and that, we say, is what is driving him."
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