York student describes 'living hell' of being stalked by driving instructor

A student from York has described the 'living hell' of being stalked by her former driving instructor.

Graham Mansie, 53, became obsessed with his 19-year-old former student Maisie Relph to the point where he broke a restraining order to drive from his home in London to North Yorkshire to see her.

He then waited outside her university halls with a knife.

Stalking victim Maisie Relph outside York Crown Court. Credit: PA

Miss Relph told ITV News that the ordeal left her constantly worried, paranoid and living with an eating disorder.

She said: "He never touched me in any way. He was never violent, yet he made my life a living hell. I was absolutely terrified. I was 18, I'd just moved away from home 225 miles away."

Mansie sent unwanted gifts to Miss Relph's then-home in London, but they continued when she moved to York for her university studies. He also joined the WhatsApp group for her halls of residence.

When the teenager went to the police, Mansie was charged and given a restraining order and a GPS tag to wear on his ankle.

Nine days later, he travelled 225 miles to York and was sighted outside her halls of residence sobbing and carrying blades.

Graham Mansie, pictured outside court. Credit: SWNS

This week, Mansie was given a twenty jail sentence and an indefinite restraining order, and was warned that any further breaches of the restraining order would result in a longer sentence.

She said: "It's only now that I know that he's definitely in prison that I can move on with my life. I've been going round my old secondary schools doing stalking awareness speeches and obviously I'm doing this to raise awareness. So you can turn it into a positive."

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