Stalker Raymond Knight fails to lift restraining order

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-48573306

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A man whose persistent harassment of his former GP led to the strengthening of stalking laws has failed in his bid to have his restraining order lifted.

Raymond Knight, 74, stalked Cheltenham GP, Dr Ellie Aston, for seven years.

When he was jailed for five years in 2015, the judge said the maximum possible term was not enough and called for a review of the law.

The application hearing took place at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday.

During the hearing, judge Timothy Rose turned down the application to remove the restraining order and stated it must remain in place indefinitely.

Knight's abuse of Dr Aston included turning up at her surgery more than 100 times, posting "foul items" though her letterbox, following her on patient visits, slashing her tyres and sending threatening emails.

Prior to 2015, Knight had spent seven years stalking Dr Aston, a mum of two who worked at the Hadwen GP practice in Abbeydale, Gloucester.

In May 2013, the retired builder was jailed for three years and eight months for his harassment of the GP.

Soon after being paroled midway through his sentence, he resumed stalking her home and workplace and was jailed again in 2015.

Gloucestershire Conservative MPs Richard Graham and Alex Chalk then successfully campaigned for the maximum sentence to be increased to 10 years.