After an acrimonious divorce in 2009, Richard Kendal allegedly stalked and harassed several top judges, Kingston Crown Court heard yesterday (Tuesday, 30 June).

Amongst the alleged victims are Sir Andrew McFarlane, who is now the retired president of the Family Division at the Royal Courts of Justice; the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, Sir Paul Goldspring; Elizabeth Hardy, Sir Paul's legal adviser and researcher; and Kendal's ex-wife, Ruth Garner.

According to LBC, Laura Blackband, prosecuting, told Kingston Crown Court: "Unfortunately, the divorce was far from amicable as Mr Kendal appears to have been unable to move past the end of his marriage.

"Following his dissatisfaction at the outcome of the original divorce proceedings and ancillary financial matters, he has devoted his energy over years into pursuing vexatious litigation against his ex-wife, waging personal and unpleasant vendettas against some of the judges – including Sir Andrew McFarlane and Sir Paul Goldspring, and engaging in intimidation and threats to his ex-wife."

The court heard the 62-year-old is not fit to stand trial because he suffers from psychosis, which involves a persistent delusional disorder.

Kendal also faces an offence of stalking involving fear of violence in relation to Sir Andrew between January 2021 and July 2025.

He also faces charges of having stalked Sir Paul and an alternative offence of racially aggravated stalking between January 2024 and July 2025.

Kendal has been accused of stalking Ms Hardy and of breaching a non-molestation order that was aimed at protecting Ms Garner.

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LBC says that she was sent 33 "highly abusive" emails over the course of five months - in breach of the order, which left her feeling "worn down", the court heard on Tuesday.

The order was to last indefinitely and sought to stop Kendal from allegedly using or threatening violence, intimidating or pestering her or their two children.

Amongst the offences he is accused of, Kendal allegedly sent an email referencing Sir Andrew's heart surgery which said: "Your days are over, McFarlane.

"You need to focus before you are made to regret ever waking up off that operating table last July. You have a narrow window before I release the hounds."

Ms Blackband said police went to Kendal's home in June 2021 as a result of the emails to Sir Andrew and abusive letters to around 50 other judges.

Having been arrested in June 2021, he was bailed and went on to commit further offences involving Sir Paul, it was alleged.

In a police interview, Kendal claimed his emails had been hacked by the Government.

At one point, Ms Hardy received a threat in which Kendal allegedly threatened that they would be cut up "into little pieces", the court heard.

Ms Hardy said she felt this depicted a "very desperate man who is not getting what he wants from the three of us".

She added: "I was scared that he would try something. Would he try to cut me up into little pieces? Probably not, but I thought he might harm us in some way."

According to LBC, Kendal's defence, Geoffrey Israel, indicated that the 62-year-old was frustrated with the legal system and wanted to "punish these judges by putting them through a legal trial and imprisoning them".

Mr Israel claimed that any violence in the messages was "not a threat to murder but about how careers are going to be ended, according to Mr Kendal".

The hearing continues.

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