Man harassed Harry Potter author

Lomax compared himself to a man who murdered a writer

A man has been ordered to stay away from Harry Potter author JK Rowling after admitting bombarding her with letters and phone calls.

Paul Lomax, 51, harassed the author after becoming fixated with the idea they had met on a train 17 years ago.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court issued an indefinite non-harassment order against Lomax, banning him from contacting Ms Rowling or her staff.

Lomax, from London, was also fined £300 after pleading guilty to the offence.

The court was told Lomax inundated Ms Rowling's public relations company and her assistants with letters and phone calls asking to meet her.

Fear and alarm

Ms Rowling became seriously concerned when in one letter Lomax compared himself to Kenneth Halliwell, who committed suicide after killing fellow writer Joe Orton with a hammer in 1967.

Lomax ignored two police warnings to stop attempting to contact Ms Rowling before finally being arrested last year.

He pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace between 14 May 2004 and 30 June 2006 by harassing Ms Rowling and her staff and placing them in a state of fear and alarm.

Defence agent Kenneth McFarlane told the court that Lomax had never been to Edinburgh and believed he had met Ms Rowling on a train journey 17 years ago.

Mr McFarlane said there had been no further calls or letters since Lomax had been arrested, and said Lomax apologised for any distress he had caused the author or her staff.