Friday, August 14, 1998 Published at 02:11 GMT 03:11 UK
Victim left in fear as stalker goes free
Stalkers often feel they have a right to punish their victims
The first stalker to be convicted of causing psychological grevious bodily harm to his victim has been bound over to keep the peace after continuing to follow her.
Anthony Burstow was given a three-year sentence in 1996 for stalking Tracey Morgan. He was released in June last year.
This time he was able to walk free after the prosecution at Reading Crown Court said there was insufficient evidence to prove that he had again caused grievous bodily harm.
Miss Morgan, formerly known as Tracey Sant, choked back tears as she described how her nightmare had begun again.
"He knows where I'm living at the moment and I will just have to be on my guard and wonder whether when the phone rings or when the post comes will it be him."
Miss Morgan met Mr Burstow in 1992 while they were working at HMS Collingwood in Fareham.
He bombarded her with phone calls and posion pen letters, bugged her house, stole her underwear and poured oil over her car.
He later moved into a house 500 yards from her home.
Miss Morgan's blames the break up of her marriage and her subsequent divorce on Mr Burstow's obsessive attentions.
Mr Burstow was jailed in a landmark case in March 1996 but his attempts to harass Miss Morgan continued from his prison cell. Letters he tried to send her were seized.
Victim 'very distressed'
After his release, he left her in peace for some months before beginning to pester her again this year.
He sent her a birthday card and was seen hanging around outside her home in Crowthorne, Berkshire, where he was arrested.
However, the Crown decided there was insufficient evidence of psychological grevious bodily harm.
Judge Stanley Spence told Mr Burstow: "I want you to do nothing that will in any way impinge on the life of Miss Morgan in any adverse way." Mr Burstow agreed that he would not.
The case against Mr Burstow was ordered to lie on the file.
He faces a further prosecution under the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 which will be dealt with at a magistrates court.