A SERIAL stalker from York who threatened to mutilate TV vet Trude Mostue in a sickening phone call has been jailed for ten years.

Lawyers for welder John Maynard said his threats to women, made over the course of 30 years, were the result of a "deep-seated hatred" of his own mother.

Maynard, 55, rang the star of BBC's Vets In Practice at the veterinary surgery where she was a partner.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Maynard got through to the television vet on an emergency line at the practice.

At first he spoke with a worker, and threatened to "harm" Miss Mostue.

He then called back and spoke to Miss Mostue, and threatened to mutilate her.

Stunned Miss Mostue warned Maynard the phones were monitored by police, before he slammed the receiver down.

Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said: "The victim naturally went into shock and felt for her safety."

The court heard how Maynard, of Portland Street, off Gillygate, had numerous convictions in England and Germany for terrorising women with threatening phone calls.

He served a five-year sentence in the 1990s for making a threat to kill.

He was released from prison on licence in May, 1999, and within months was making calls to women.

Maynard admitted charges of harassing Miss Mostue and four other women.

The court was told he picked his victims at random, although he recognised Miss Mostue from her TV work, and that his offending dated back 30 years.

After police arrested him, they searched his car and found a list of names of women, addresses and phone numbers which he could have used to target more victims.

Mitigating, Richard Bloomfield said the root cause for Maynard's offending was a hatred of his mother, who had been "possessive and overbearing".

Recorder Dave Robson, QC, said told Maynard: "My primary duty is not just to punish you for what you have done but, overridingly, to protect the public and women in particular."

Updated: 11:16 Wednesday, April 24, 2002