Magistrates impose community order and restraining order under harassment laws
A solicitor has been given a two-year community order after being convicted of stalking a court blogger.
Andrew Jonathan Milne was sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of stalking blogger and court observer Daniel Cloake.
The court heard that Milne engaged in a sustained course of unwanted contact between March and August 2024, sending repeated emails and messages to Cloake. More than 120 emails were sent during that period, despite the blogger making clear that the contact was unwelcome.
Some of the communications contained explicit and personal comments directed at Cloake. Milne also attended the blogger’s home address and left a handwritten note through the letterbox suggesting that Cloake could live in his garage if he agreed to become his “total sex slave”.
A victim impact statement from Cloake was read to the court by prosecutor Reem Khatib. Cloake described Milne’s emails as a “weird mix of delusional messages of being in a relationship” alongside “aggressive” litigation threats, adding: “This was scary and showed a lack of respect for normal boundaries.”
He said the conduct had caused stress and distraction while he was at work. Cloake also referred to an email in which Milne said he intended to visit his home “completely uninvited”, which included what was described as an offer of settlement for an unspecified legal claim.
Cloake told the court ‘I was scared he was coming to my house to force me to have sex with him,’
Magistrates concluded that the repeated and intrusive behaviour amounted to stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Sentencing Milne, district judge Towell said the solicitor had “shown no remorse whatsoever” and had “demonstrated no recognition or respect for boundaries”.
The court imposed a two-year community order and made a seven-year restraining order preventing Milne from contacting Cloake or approaching his home address. The order also bars any indirect attempts to communicate with the blogger.
Milne was also ordered to pay £850 compensation to Cloake, £650 as a contribution to costs and £114 victim surcharge within 28 days.
The case was also investigated by officers from South Yorkshire Police, who examined the pattern of communications sent to the blogger as part of the prosecution case.
Milne qualified as a solicitor in the 1980s and has previously practised as a sole practitioner. Following the conviction, the Solicitors Regulation Authority placed restrictions on his practising certificate while it considers the regulatory implications of the criminal proceedings.
Under those conditions, Milne is unable to practise as a solicitor unless working under the supervision of another solicitor approved by the regulator.
At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Milne’s barrister Goldstein indicated that his client intends to challenge the conviction and plans to lodge an appeal.