WHEN she met him on a crowded dancefloor, Claire Gray had no reason to suspect the man would go on to terrorise her for 15 years.
Nigel Grunnill waged a campaign of fear against his victim when she rejected his advances after three dates.
He followed her everywhere she went, waited outside her home for a glimpse of her and left stones in her driveway.
Eventually, his obsession had taken such a hold that it culminated in repeated threats to kill her after he claimed he had "made a pact with the devil."
For Miss Gray and her family, there has been little respite from Grunnill.
He has been classed by police and probation officers as one of the most dangerous men in East Yorkshire.
Restraining orders and prison have failed to stop his fixation with Miss Gray.
Even as he was approaching the end of a six-year sentence for trying to hire a hitman to kill her, Grunnill, 37, told probation officers he would murder her.
Just two weeks ago, he told his psychiatrist at the Humber Centre, a hospital unit for people with mental health problems, that he still wanted to "confront" her.
It led to Judge Simon Jack sentencing Grunnill to an indefinite hospital order after ruling he was a danger to the public. Grunnill will only be released when the Secretary of State deems he is fit enough to return to society.
Superintendent Mark Johansson, of Humberside Police, said: "He has been a thorn in the side of the victim and her family for several years.
"His actions and threats have changed the lives of the victim and those close to her. I sincerely hope that she can now get some peace from his fixation upon her.
"Individuals like Nigel are rare, but this case shows that with the police working alongside other agencies, such as the Probation Service, and under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements, can work together and keep our communities safe from certain individuals.
"We will continue to work together and pursue and prosecute those who wish to cause major harm to others."
Grunnill has been given a retraining order banning him from east Hull for life on his release.
The restraining order will be the only thing standing between Grunnill and his victim.
The Mail is calling for Prime Minister David Cameron, the Home Secretary Teresa May and Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to introduce an order to monitor stalkers like Grunnill to provide added protection for their victims.
A dedicated order for stalkers would force them to register their address, their car registration details, ban them from accessing the internet or specific areas and enable the police to frequently visit them to ensure they are complying.
Claire Gray's father, David, has backed the proposal.
Grunnill has breached his restraining order to stay away from his daughter six times and, on one occasion, attacked Mr Gray with a hammer.
Hull barrister Paul Genney said: "A restraining order has no teeth. The first anyone would know that a stalker had breached it would be when it was too late.
"There needs to be tougher powers to monitor stalkers like Grunnill in the form of an order imposing restrictions on their movements which the police can monitor.
"They should be monitored as sex offenders are."
Assistant Chief Constable of Humberside Police Alan Leaver is supporting the proposals.
He said: "I support the campaign of the Hull Daily Mail to press the Home Office to consider such an order."
The move follows the Government's introduction of two new stalker offences.
Home Secretary Theresa May has pledged to tackle stalking.
She said: "Stalking is an issue which affects many lives, often in devastating ways. That is why we are taking it seriously and introducing these new offences.
"Offenders need to know that they will be brought to justice for making others lives a misery.
"We will do all we can to protect victims of stalking more effectively and to end this appalling crime."
One in 20 women is a victim of stalking every year and over a lifetime, stalking affects almost one in five women and one in ten men.
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