Victim's anger after stalker freed by court

A STALKER who tormented a woman for six years and was jailed for causing her psychological harm was released on bail yesterday after being convicted of harassing her.

Anthony Burstow created legal history two years ago when he became the first person to be jailed for causing psychological harm to his victim, Tracey Morgan.

Yesterday, Ms Morgan called for a restraining order to be imposed against Burstow after he was convicted for a second time - this time for harassment. The case is certain to lead to calls for the courts to take tougher action against stalkers.

"The past six years have been a fight to survive, wondering every time I go outside the front door whether I'm going to get through the day," Ms Morgan said. "It is like walking along the edge of a cliff not knowing if today will be the day someone pushes you over."

Magistrates in Bracknell, Berkshire, were told that Burstow, 39, a Falklands veteran, began harassing Ms Morgan when the pair worked together at HMS Collingwood, in Hampshire, in 1992.

For four years he bombarded her with phone calls, bugged her home and attacked her car after she tried to end a friendship she had begun out of pity. On one occasion he stole underwear from her house.

Under the strain, Ms Morgan's marriage collapsed and she and her husband divorced.

Burstow, a former naval petty officer from Hythe, Kent, became the first stalker to be convicted of causing psychological grievous bodily harm in March 1996. On that occasion, he was jailed for three years.

But the court was told he started the campaign again last January when he sent Ms Morgan an anonymous card on her 30th birthday. He then started waiting outside her home.

She told the court: "For the past six years I have been terrorised and been a prisoner in my own home.

"I'm not paranoid, but I didn't know what was going to happen when this man was around. It is just horrible... You are on edge all the time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Magistrates were told that Burstow had a string of convictions for offences against Ms Morgan and had been jailed on three different occasions.He was released on conditional bail yesterday until 4 January for pre-sentence reports.

He is unlikely to be jailed in January because he has already spent eight months in custody on remand.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "We will continue to do all we can to help Tracey and her family lead a less stressful life in regard to Mr Burstow."

Diana Lamplugh, director of the Lamplugh Trust, said: "The trust is disappointed that (Burstow) has been let out on bail. This is very hard for Tracey and will cause her deep distress.

"The problem with stalking is that the stalker is suffering from compulsive obsessive behaviour and he or she is unlikely to stop. Psychologists tend to agree that if a stalker is let out of prison they probably will continue."