An Edgware man accused of stalking a Mill Hill woman has avoided a jail term despite admitting breaking a restraining order.

Elliot Fogel, 32, of Stanway Gardens, was given an indefinite restraining order in December 2005 to prevent him harassing Claire Waxman, 31, who he met 16 years ago when they both studied at Oaklands College in St Albans.

Fogel became obsessed with Mrs Waxman and she says he has bombarded her with late-night telephone calls and emails, and sent her Valentine's cards and flowers.

On March 9, she returned home to find him standing in her driveway.

Fogel pleaded guilty to this breach of the restraining order and appeared at Brent Magistrates Court on Friday for sentencing. He was handed a 13-week suspended prison sentence which means that if he breaches the order in the next 12 months he will almost definitely end up behind bars.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and £118 costs.

The court earlier ruled a psychiatric assessment be carried out on Fogel as part of his sentencing conditions, but that was later ruled out for what magistrate Kim Wager, chairwoman of the Bench, called various bureaucratic reasons'.

Standing outside the courtroom, flanked by his parents, Fogel was asked if he was a stalker.

"Of course not," he answered. "If I really wanted to stalk her, the things I could have done do not bear thinking about."

He said he did not feel he needed psychiatric help. "I need to talk about the situation, but I don't feel I need treatment," he said. "I've no harmful intentions at all. I'm so sorry it's got to this situation and I'm trying to get on with my life. I've never been out to get her."

Asked if he intends to stay away from Mrs Waxman in future, he said: "Of course. If I don't, I know the consequences."

Mrs Waxman, who is married and has a baby, was not in court because she was away on holiday recuperating. Fogel's attentions have left her on anti-depressants and, she says, in constant fear.

She later said: "I feel extremely let down. After years of being stalked, I am shocked and disappointed that the court did not order psychiatric treatment to try to help him get over this obsession. As a result of today, my family and I still feel very vulnerable and scared and I can see no end to this nightmare."