Kevin Spacey's stalker sentenced to four years

A woman has been jailed for four years for stalking the actor Kevin Spacey

A 55-year-old woman has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for engaging in what prosecutors described as “persistent and malevolent” cyberstalking against the actor Kevin Spacey.

Linda Louise Culkin pleaded guilty to charges that included sending threatening communication and sending false information regarding explosives, the Associated Press reported. After her arrest in 2012, Culkin’s apartment was reportedly found to have a picture of Spacey with his eyes blacked out and multiple copies of a page titled ‘Killing Kevin Spacey.’

After her sentencing, Culkin apologised, saying: “I have some mental health issues. I was overzealous. I cop to that, I fully apologise to him.” Culkin has already served time in prison since her arrest and has 18 months of her sentence left to serve.

Spacey, who stars in House of Cards and has won two Oscars for his roles in The Usual Suspects (1996) and American Beauty (2000), said in an impact statement that it was “difficult to measure the degree of terror” caused by her actions.

The judge, at a US District Court in Boston, has also ordered Culkin to pay Stacey $124,000 (£75,000) in compensation because he had to hire bodyguards during the two years she was stalking him.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.