Psychologist ‘Was Stalked For 16 Years’

A French woman shattered the life of a British psychologist during an obsessive 16-year campaign of stalking and harassment, a court has been told.

Anna Smirnoff, now 49, was a trainee psychologist at Newcastle University when she spent a mere 16 days being mentored by the man who was to become her victim.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that the “intelligent and articulate” woman began to bombard the psychologist, his wife and colleagues with telephone calls, letters and e-mails. She delivered gifts to his home, chased him along streets, demanded sex, exposed herself and falsely accused him of professional misconduct and child abuse.

Glen Gatland, for the prosecution, told the court that when the 16-day placement ended in 1990 the psychologist had shaken hands with Miss Smirnoff and never expected to see her again. Three days later, at a conference in Harrogate, he was told by loudspeaker that he had an urgent phone call.

Giving evidence yesterday, the psychologist said he had picked up the call to hear Miss Smirnoff saying: “I want to f*** you. You want to f*** me.” The suggestion, which “came out of thin air”, left him extremely distressed and he told her that he could not continue the conversation. Miss Smirnoff also began phoning his home and workplace, and then started stalking him in the street.

“On one occasion she stood with a coat on and took the coat off. She was naked and screamed obscenities, ‘F*** me, you bastard’ and words to that effect.”

Mr Gatland said that whenever the man changed his telephone number or moved home and changed his job, Miss Smirnoff would travel to Britain from France to track him down. She also began to send his colleagues offensive correspondence. Miss Smirnoff claimed that the man, his wife and his colleagues were involved in orgies and child abuse. Letters containing false allegations were sent to the Queen, the Prime Minister, MPs, newspapers, television journalists, health trusts, the NSPCC and social services.

As a result the psychologist and one of his colleagues were humiliated by being placed under internal investigation by their employers. They were found to be entirely innocent.

Mr Gatland said that the man had first contacted the police in 1991. Miss Smirnoff was brought before the courts and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. On her release, in 1992, she returned to France.

Her “relentless campaign of harassment” continued, however, and in 2000 the psychologist again contacted the police. Miss Smirnoff then agreed in writing never again to contact him. A year later her campaign was back in full flow. Miss Smirnoff was, counsel said, obsessed and delusional. Charming, intelligent and articulate, she was “undoubtedly mentally ill”.

Miss Smirnoff, who was arrested at her home in France last year, denies four charges of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

The trial continues.