Gwyneth Paltrow's alleged stalker found not guilty

A man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow for 17 years has walked free from court after a jury ruled he was innocent.

The Hollywood actress said Dante Soiu sent her 66 letters between 2009 and 2015.

Some were said to contain pornography and statements that Soiu wanted to marry her and "cleanse her of sin".

Earlier this month Paltrow broke down in court as she said she had been left "traumatised" by the ordeal.

It is the second time Soiu has been accused of stalking her.

In the early 2000s he spent time in a mental health facility after allegedly sending the star lewd messages and sex toys and turning up at her house.

But a jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Paltrow reported him to police again in 2010 after receiving further letters from him.

Siou told jurors he did it because he was "lonely and wanted a pen pal" and "had no desire to hurt her feeling or harass her."

No psychiatric order is believed to have been made in this case.