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Internet stalker jailed

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Britain's first convicted Internet stalker has been jailed for three months after continuing to harass his victim. Computer programmer Nigel Harris, 24, turned up at his former girlfriend's house with a bottle of champagne, just five weeks after "getting away" with a conditional discharge for the original offence. He was thrown in to prison for ignoring the restraining order, forbidding him from making contact with Claire Dawson, and imposing a one-mile exclusion zone around her house. Harris met victim Claire Dawson at Cambridge, where they were both students. They had a stormy two-year relationship, which ended last July. And then Harris' stalking campaign began. He used the Internet to "wage a malicious and unrelenting campaign against her", according to report of the trial in The Guardian. Harris sent Dawson "offensive emails at the children's charity where she worked. They featured sinister messages, including references to The Shining, the horror film in which actor Jack Nicholson tries to kill his wife and child". If that weren't enough, Harris sent more emails quoting romantic song lyrics in a effort to win back Dawson. Apparently, Harris has a new girlfriend. Lucky her. ®

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