Praying 'fan' gets barred
2004-10-07 09:03
Los Angeles - A US judge on Wednesday ordered a drifter who wanted to pray with Mel Gibson to stay away from the devoutly Catholic movie star for at least three years.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Linda Lefkowitz extended a temporary restraining order against transient Zack Sinclair, telling him to stay at least 91 metres away from Gibson and his family until 2007.
Sinclair, who was not in court, is now banned from approaching Gibson's estate and offices as well as their children's school and the chapel where the family prays. He also is banned from contacting Gibson.
The maker of the hit religious epic The Passion of Christ sought the court order on September 21, claiming Sinclair trespassed on the star's estate and harassed him with a string of letters asking to pray with him.
The judge last week issued an initial temporary restraining order that was to expire on Wednesday.
The actor, who shook up the movie industry this year with his controversial film, said Sinclair's letters were "alarming, harassing and annoying".
In a letter dated July 13, Sinclair wrote that The Passion, which has earned more than $370m at the box office, demonstrated "a deep love and understanding of the saviour".
But in a second letter, dated August 9, Sinclair allegedly said: "It won't be particularly shocking to me that you have been in direct opposition to Christ for a long time."
In a July 30 missive, he wrote: "My family thinks I am crazy ... I have been comitted (sic) to the state mental hospital in Idaho twice. I have done over 2 1/2 years in jail, all this over the span of about five years."
The drifter allegedly came to the actor's home in the plush Los Angeles area of Malibu on September 17 and "demanded to see me, saying that he wanted to pray with me", Gibson said in the documents.
After being told to leave and never to return, Sinclair reappeared at the star's home the following day, according to the actor's declaration.
Then on September 19, Sinclair allegedly turned up at a church where Gibson was attending Sunday mass.
"He approached me, interrupted my worship, stood extremely close from me and demanded that I pray with him," Gibson stated in the court documents.
The next day, the unwanted worshipper allegedly returned to the Gibson home and rang the bell at the gate. This time, Gibson's wife, Robyn, called the police and Sinclair was arrested.