The victim in Bermuda's first successful stalking case claims the man who was jailed for trying to poison her and her daughter last year has started to harass her once again.

Public Safety Minister Paula Cox has agreed to meet Sandra Ruth and will investigate her allegations that Carlos Astwood is stalking her once again.

Ms Cox will also look at her claim that the Island's stalking laws, introduced in 1997, are failing to protect women from obsessive former lovers.

The Minister said if agencies such as the Police and Women's Resource Centre tell her the law is not working, she will recommend it be tightened.

Police have confirmed Ms Ruth has contacted them to tell them Astwood, her ex-boyfriend and a former Mr. Bermuda, has been in contact since he was released from prison earlier this year.

The spokesman said Ms Ruth had not made a formal complaint because she has so far been unable to obtain a restraining order from the courts.

Ms Ruth said the laws were flawed because Police were unable to take any action against an alleged stalker unless the victim can secure a restraining order through the courts.

She claimed it is taking her months, and money she cannot afford on lawyers fees, to build up evidence to get a restraining order.

She attacked the current system which allowed Astwood not to give an address to Police when he left prison, which made it difficult for her to find out where he lived as she was trying to get the restraining order.

In the meantime, she alleged, the well-known body builder is continuing to make her life a misery and there is nothing she can do.

Astwood yesterday denied Ms Ruth's allegations that he was harassing her. He said he had not left messages on her voicemail at work and at home, nor had he been verbally abusing her and her new boyfriend.

He admitted there had been one verbal confrontation outside Ms Ruth's workplace in Hamilton when he told her to "shut her legs'' when she was smoking a cigarette. He maintained it was Ms Ruth who had been trying to contact him.

Astwood, a carpenter, said he had taken a job on the ACE construction site in Hamilton, opposite Ms Ruth's workplace, but said it was because he had always wanted to work there because the money was good.

Astwood, 34, was jailed for two years last year for lacing orange juice, milk and food at Ms Ruth's home in St. George's with paint thinner.

His was the first conviction under the 1997 Stalking Act. He pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm.

Ms Ruth told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "Within the second week of his release from prison he started calling me at my job, leaving voicemail messages and calling me at home, leaving messages.

"He was saying: `You can call this number, you'll know what it's about.' Then it would be: `You've got some nerve sleeping with someone else'.

"He would call pretending to be a friend, then would ask me about the relationship. When I realised it was him I would hang up. Before I tried to get the restraining letter, it was verbal confrontations outside my office with my boyfriend when he came to pick me up.

"He was saying I was a whore, that this thing hasn't finished, saying to my boyfriend that he didn't know me and that I still loved him and that I still belong to him. If he gets me alone he does that as well.

Anti-stalking law `failing' the victim "It makes me sick. While he was in prison he was still stalking me. He was sending letters to my friends from prison, telling them what I was doing. I don't know how he found this out. People are still receiving them.

"When he left prison, he got a job on the ACE site right across from my office so basically I see him every day of my life.

"When I went to the Police to press charges against him, I was told I couldn't because I didn't have a restraining order. I had to file a report and that was it.

"I didn't know where he lived. I went to the Police and the prison and asked, but there is no requirement for him to give out where he is living. There should be some requirement that he has to have no contact with me...'' "I am not afraid, I stopped being that when I stood up and did what I did. I am disgusted with the system that is not protecting me and making me go through all of this again.

"It is costing me money I can't afford and my freedom. I have to conscientiously file with my lawyer what has been happening so that they can compile a case. I shouldn't have to do that again.

"The Stalking Acts are supposed to stop this sort of thing. But what good are they if they can't stop this and he is free to do what he wants.'' Ms Cox said yesterday: "This lady seems to have had a harrowing experience... and I would like to speak to her. While I may not be the front-line Minister, I have an interest in finding out if people are feeling vulnerable and feel these laws aren't working.

"I would need to take representations from people on the ground about how the stalking laws are working...'' Ms Cox said if after speaking to the Police and WRC that the laws needed strengthening, she would make recommendations to the Law Reform Committee of the Attorney General's Department which may recommend changes.

Astwood said Ms Ruth's claims of harassment were "total rubbish''. He denied he had left messages at Ms Ruth's work and at home, and said she had left two pager messages for him.

"She's tried to contact me in a guest house and I made a complaint to the Police that she was invading my privacy,'' he said.

"I am concerned because I know about the individual she is with right now. I haven't said much to her except that she's weak because she's going to smoking.'' Referring to the incident outside Ms Ruth's office, he said: "She was smoking a cigarette and I told her to close her legs and she started cursing me. I said `I'm not finished with you'.'' Astwood admitted sending letters to mutual friends from prison, but he said this was to explain the circumstances behind the court case.

A Police spokesman said: "We can confirm Ms Ruth did contact the Police to say he was released from prison. She did not make a complaint though.

"It was for the purpose of letting the Police know he had been in contact with her. She has not to our knowledge got a restraining order and Police can't take action until she gets that...''