A STALKER left Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow fearful for her safety after posting a letter containing a white powder to her home, a court has heard.

Former vet Maurice Kirk also allegedly uploaded a picture of himself carrying a shotgun with two photos of Ms Pow underneath, it is alleged.

Exeter Crown Court was told that Kirk was upset with the Conservative MP at her failure to help him in a long-running legal battle with South Wales Police.

He claimed she had failed to answer his letters and phone calls and allegedly started a campaign of harassment at her home and constituency office.

He went to her house in a village near Taunton during the first lockdown last year despite a direct warning from the police not to.

Ms Pow’s daughter saw him hanging around the gate after he hand-delivered a letter which said he was planning to return later.

He also warned one of her staff that he would ‘create merry hell’ at her office unless she contacted him, the court was told.

His campaign caused the MP to feel fearful about using public transport and to increase her personal security she carried an alarm and installed sensors around her home.

Kirk, 76, of Westgate Street, Taunton, denies stalking that caused serious alarm or distress. He is representing himself at the trial.

He says his contact was normal and was no more than a constituent seeking help from an MP.

He said the white powder was tooth paste which he used to seal the envelope.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, told the jury the stalking started on May 17, 2019, when Kirk was serving a jail sentence at Cardiff Prison for an unconnected offence of breaching a harassment order against a doctor.

He contacted Ms Pow to enlist her help in a case in which he was suing the police over a prosecution in which he was cleared of fixing a machine-gun on a vintage plane after claiming it was a harmless piece of metal.

He sent a letter to Ms Pow’s home which she opened and was reading when she realised there was white powder on her hands. She washed them, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and got her office to call the police, the court heard.

The powder turned out to be harmless and a similar powder was found in an unposted letter to a friend which was discovered when Kirk’s cell was searched,

Mr Shellard said the further incidents happened in 2020, by which time Kirk had been released from prison.

He became aggressive to Ms Pow’s office manager Michael Asher during an unannounced visit and on May 27, 2020, he turned up at her home, it is alleged.

The MP was not there but her daughter was and saw Kirk outside at around noon.

Ms Pow later found a letter in which Kirk said he had tried plans A, B, C and D and was now moving on to plan E, although he did not explain what this was to be, the jury was told.

Mr Shellard said: “Kirk had called the police at 9.50am that day saying he was going to Ms Pow’s house because she had not responded to his requests. He wanted the police to tell her he was coming.

“He was not proportionate to go there and it was contrary to the Covid rules in force at the time. He told the police there was likely to be a breach of the peace and he was advised not to go and told he could be arrested if he did so.”

Kirk later posted a short video clip of his visit to the house on his website with a message accusing the MP of being responsible for his previous imprisonment. There was also a photo of him with a shotgun and two pictures of Ms Pow, the court heard.

The next day he phoned her agent and threatened to ‘create merry hell’ at her office unless she contacted him. He sent a voicemail to Mr Asher, saying he was moving on to Plan F, which heightened concern for the MP’s safety, it was alleged.

The case has been adjourned until 11am tomorrow (Tuesday), when Ms Pow is due to be the first witness.