A stalker with an obsession with former BBC presenter Emily Maitlis has been sentenced to eight years in jail after attempting to breach a restraining order for the 20th time.
Edward Vines, who has had a three-decade obsession with the journalist, attempted to send eight letters he had written from HMP Nottingham between May 2020 and December 2021.
A court heard that in one of his letters, Vines wrote that he would “continue to brood and to write letters in prison” unless she spoke to him about "her behaviour in 1990".
In July, Vines was found guilty of eight counts of breaching his restraining order at Nottingham Crown Court.
On Monday, Vines was jailed for a further eight years after a judge told him that he was "tortured by his obession" with the journalist.
During sentencing, Judge Mark Watson said: “The offences relate to letters written and posted by you in an effort to communicate with Emily Maitlis or her mother Marian.
“The first of your letters was sent on or about June 1, 2020. At the time you were serving a sentence.
"You remained undeterred and continued in your efforts. In my judgement you have shown breathtaking resistance.
“This is just the latest chapter in a much longer history, you met at university in the 1990s.
“It is clear from your letters you believed there was some genuine affection.
“In 2002 you were convicted of harassing Miss Maitlis. You told the jury that until you spoke to Emily Maitlis to resolve matters in your mind you will continue
“There is no evidence to suggest that you present a physical risk to her or her family.
"But this type of offending provides some inevitable consequences for those on the receiving end.
“It is an inescapable fear as the only thing preventing you from contacting her is the prison. You are unshakeable in your view that you need to talk to Emily Maitlis.
“Your letters did not get past the security checks. The contents of your letters did not feature any threat or abuse, just outpourings of affection.
“You are an intelligent and articulate man but you are tortured by your obsession of Emily Maitis.
“You have received treatment for psychosis since 2007. You may have a persistent delusional disorder."
A jury took just two hours to find Vines guilty of the eight offences after a trial in July.
Prosecutor Ian Way said: “The courts are aware of the history of this matter.
“He was made the subject of the first restraining order in 2002 after his conviction by a guilty plea.
“In December 2008, having breached an order he appeared before Oxford Crown Court were the order was replaced by the current order, the one which is the subject of these offences.
“Since that date he has breached or attempted to breach the order on a further 19 occasions.
“He began communicating by email in earlier instances but predominantly by writing in latter cases.
“In 2016 he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. While released on license he offended again and pleaded guilty.
“While as a serving prisoner he sent two further letters and appeared before this crown court in 2020. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
“The current eight offences were committed between May 2020 and December 2021 at Nottingham prison.
"The defendant has persistently maintained during interview that he will continue to write to Emily.”
Vines represented himself during the trial and his sentencing hearing, telling the court that he is an "innocent and kind of unintrusive as a prisoner can be".
He said: "I don’t cause any nuisance to anyone in the prison, I'm innocent and kind of unintrusive as a prisoner can be.
“I don’t cause any problems in the prison.
“They’re distorting matters where they’re saying that I’m oblivious to the law or the legal process. It’s not that, I just haven’t received a fair trial yet.
“I haven’t made threats to kill. I can’t feel guilty, it hasn’t been explained why I’m guilty.”
