AN ARMY captain has told how a Sussex verger made her life hell by sending bizarre and unwanted love letters.

Angharad Crew, 27, was so upset by 32-year-old Peter Parkinson's advances that she went sick and called in military police to stop him, a court heard.

Parkinson, of St Leonards, denies two charges of harassing Capt Crew and a colleague at a training camp in Surrey.

In his first letter to Capt Crew, Parkinson wrote: "When you and I meet and talk it is magic. I can't sleep at night. I think you are wonderful."

Aweek later, he used her barracks nickname to write: "Dear Boo, only you and I know the truth that I love you no matter what has happened.

"I have done nothing to harm you and people have no right to interfere and people should forgive and forget, with love Peter Parkinson."

Capt Crew, who told the court she found the notes bizarre and threatening, said she had only ever exchanged "idle chat" with Parkinson during organised trips to All Saints Church based at the training camp in Pirbright, Surrey, where Parkinson was the verger.

Capt Crew, an adjutant, told the court: "I did not want to have any contact with him. Being female I can feel quite vulnerable and it did disturb me especially in the context that I really did not know this person. I found it all very distressing because the letters implied we knew each other quite well. This was not the case."

At Guildford magistrates yesterday Capt Crew denied she was being oversensitive or had over-reacted.

Parkinson was told to leave the training camp December 1997 after less than a year there. He was later dismissed by the army.

Parkinson also faces a charge of harassing the camp's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Vandeleur, who said he had received letters after dismissing Parkinson. The Lt Col also said he received hate mail via the Internet.

The e-mail read: "God has judged Simon Vandeleur as not being fit to serve him. He is going to be sent to hell."

The case was adjourned until Tuesday.

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