Ohio Man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow is acquitted by jury

A man accused of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow for 17 years has walked free from court after a jury ruled he was innocent.

The Hollywood actress said Dante Soiu sent her 66 letters between 2009 and 2015.

This is the second case in which Soiu is accused of stalking the actress. In the first one, he was accused of sending lewd messages and sex toys to the actress but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He was sent to a mental institution in early 2000s and was released later.

A variety of witnesses including Paltrow said he began contacting her again, this time by sending her dozens of unsolicited letters and gifts in recent years. The actress said she was afraid for the safety of her two children and she even got a guard dog to respond to “attack and bite commands.”

The jury of six men and six women began deliberations on Tuesday in the latest case. They also did not believe he needed to be hospitalized for mental health issues. Soiu testified in the court that he was a changed man who continued to write to Paltrow because he wanted her forgiveness for his earlier lewd messages. “I have no desire to hurt her feelings,” Soiu testified. “I have no desire to harass her.” His lawyer Lynda Westlund also argued that Soiu did not travel to meet her like in the ’90s.

Agencies/Canadajournal