A man who stalked a woman for more than 12 years has been jailed for breaching a lifetime restraining order issued to stop him harassing his victim.

Elliot Fogel, 40, of Stanway Gardens, Edgware, was found guilty of breaching the order by issuing a libel claim against Claire Waxman, 38, and by storing information about her.

He was jailed at Harrow Crown Court yesterday for three and a half years, and was issued with a Criminal Behaviour Order.

The court heard how Fogel, who was convicted on Monday, had received two harassment warnings and been involved in five previous criminal trials involving Mrs Waxman, now an anti-stalking campaigner.

He had brought three civil actions and a High Court libel case against Mrs Waxman in order to harass her, claiming that she had libelled him in interviews.

Prosecutor Rufus D'Cruz told the court that Fogel's case was "a dishonest and devious means to continue a campaign of harassment by manipulating the civil court process and bringing a bogus and baseless action to cause Ms Waxman and her family distress and alarm".

An existing restraining order has now been extended to prevent Fogel from issuing civil proceedings against Mrs Waxman and her family without permission of a judge.

Mrs Waxman, who waived her right to anonymity, has now set up a website for stalking victims and has lobbied to have stalking made an offence.

Detective Constable Daniel Candler of Barnet Police said: "I am very pleased with the verdict of the jury who were able to see though Elliot Fogel's cynical attempts to subvert the civil judicial system in order to continue his twelve-year campaign of harassment against Mrs Waxman.

"From the outset of this investigation, police and the Crown Prosecution Service worked in partnership to ensure that the full import of Mr Fogel's offending was brought to the attention of the court.

"Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr Fogel's offending; especially in light of his appalling abuse of the civil court system to victimise Mrs Waxman.

“We all hope though that this will finally mark the end of his offending."