A MALVERN man waged a three-month harassment campaign against his ex-girlfriend with a stream of bizarre letters, a jury was told.

Benjamin Bonnaud's cryptic messages left Jane Profit "shocked and terrified".

On one occasion, Miss Profit had to flee an art exhibition she was holding when Bonnaud appeared.

The 47-year-old had known Miss Profit since 1982, when they had had a year-long relationship while she was studying for her A-levels in Leamington Spa, aged 17.

After the relationship broke up, Miss Profit had received some contact from Bonnaud which was "not welcome", said Jonathan Wright, prosecuting at Southwark Crown Court, in London, yesterday.

In October last year, Miss Profit began receiving strange letters from Bonnaud.

The rambling letters spoke of "oppos" trying to kill the pair of them because of "their integrity".

Another said her knickers had turned up at Long Lartin prison, near Evesham, in a "hermetically-sealed box".

Another urged her to visit his address in Pickersleigh Road, Malvern, and work for some unnamed people who were said to have high-tech equipment such as radar.

Miss Profit told the court of her experiences on Tuesday, October 17, last year, when she was exhibiting at Wapping Art Gallery.

Two days earlier, she had received one of Bonnaud's letters at the gallery but had not read it.

Taking a break in the gallery caf with a colleague, Miss Profit suddenly realised Bonnaud was near by.

"The person I was with called me over," said Miss Profit.

"I turned and saw Bonnaud."

She edged out of the caf, jumped into her car and drove away, glancing behind her to see Bonnaud crossing the gallery entrance and leaving.

He was arrested on Thursday, March 1. He denied two counts of harassment between October and December last year.

Mr Wright said there was no dispute that Bonnaud was the author of the letters. The trial continues.