Prisoner ‘called Emily Maitlis scornful in letters breaching restraining order’

A prisoner addressed letters to former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis and her parents which breached a restraining order, including claims she had been “scornful” to him during their friendship at university, a court has heard.

Jurors were told that in a letter written to Ms Maitlis, who co-hosts The News Agents podcast, Edward Vines claimed he “regularly” suffers depression because their friendship ended, and has done for 30 years.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that Vines, 54, is charged with three counts of breaching a restraining order and one count of attempting to breach a restraining order, which was put in place at the same court on September 5 2022.

The jury heard that the defendant, who is representing himself in the trial, sent envelopes, sometimes containing more than one letter, addressed to the broadcaster and her parents, which were intercepted by prison staff at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire, where he was serving a sentence.

Prosecutor Fergus Malone read aloud letters to the court, posted by Vines through the prison mailing system, which included him saying he was “distraught” about the friendship ending, three months after he told Ms Maitlis he loved her, during their time at university in Cambridge.

In a letter dated in July 2023, addressed to Ms Maitlis, the jury was told that Vines wrote: “I took the audacity of writing to you despite the restraining order because I’m still distraught about what took place between us in 1990.

“I regularly suffer depression over it and have for 30 years. I admit I’m not sure why I suffer so, but suffer I do.”

In a letter addressed to her mother in May of that year, Vines had described Ms Maitlis as “offish and scornful”, the court heard.

Opening the prosecution’s case on Wednesday, Mr Malone told the jury: “Edward Vines, the defendant, faces four allegations of breaching a restraining order imposed by Nottingham Crown Court on September 5 2022.

“The restraining order prohibited him from contacting Emily Maitlis, Marion Maitlis and Peter Maitlis. Emily Maitlis, you may have heard of, is a well-known broadcaster.

“The Crown’s case is that the defendant wrote, addressed and posted letters whilst in prison to all three of those people between May 2023 and February 2024.

“Mr Vines was a serving prisoner at the time. In this case, all the addressed and posted letters were intercepted by prison staff at Her Majesty’s Prison Lowdham Grange.

“The likely issue in this case is whether the defendant, Mr Vines, had a reasonable excuse in law to breach the restraining order and that is a matter for him to present to you in due course.”

The prosecution also alleges that Vines telephoned his brother in July 2023 and asked him to contact Marion Maitlis.

The trial continues.