A solicitor has been convicted of stalking following a seven-day trial at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, where the court found that a sustained pattern of unwanted communication amounted to harassment.
Andrew Jonathan Milne, admitted as a solicitor in 1986, was found guilty of stalking without fear of violence in relation to his conduct towards court observer and legal blogger Daniel Cloake during 2024.
The court heard that between March and August 2024, approximately 120 emails were sent to Mr Cloake. In addition, two voicemails were left on his birthday, a book was delivered as a gift, and the defendant attended Mr Cloake’s home address on one occasion. Doorbell footage was presented as part of the evidence.
Mr Milne denied the charge and maintained that an intimate relationship had existed between the parties. District Judge Towell rejected that account, accepting Mr Cloake’s evidence that their interaction was limited to brief exchanges at court hearings and two lunches at the Law Society. The court noted that only one of the emails received any response, which was limited to a brief acknowledgment relating to a case being observed.
In delivering judgment, the judge concluded that the volume and nature of the communications constituted a course of conduct that was oppressive and unreasonable. The court found that when the messages went unanswered, their tone became increasingly erratic and included threats of litigation. The judge determined that those threats were not credible as humour and were instead attempts to provoke a response.
The court was satisfied that the conduct caused alarm and distress and that the defendant ought reasonably to have known that his actions would have that effect. Mr Milne did not react as the verdict was delivered. He is due to be sentenced at Thames Magistrates’ Court next month.
