A obsessed spinster who harassed a Bradford priest was today jailed for two years and ordered never to contact him again.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Bernadette Quinn (pictured) had made 36-year-old Father Jonathan Hart's life a "total misery" over a long period by bombarding him with letters, silent telephone calls and gifts.

Quinn, a former cleaner who suffers a personality disorder, pleaded guilty last August to breaching a two-year restraining order which prevented her harassing Father Hart, who now works at St Peter's Church in Leeds Road, Laisterdyke, Bradford.

Quinn, 43, was remanded in custody by a judge in August to await her sentence. But after a further hearing in October she was moved from a woman's prison near Wakefield to a unit at Calderdale Royal Infirmary in Halifax under an interim hospital order.

Today prosecutor Jayne Bennett told the court that between February and November 2001 when Father Hart worked at St Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Ovenden, Halifax, he had received "numerous letters and telephone calls" from Quinn.

She had also approached him at York railway station and hid behind a pillar while staring at him. He also received a letter containing a key to Quinn's flat. Another letter came in a box containing slippers, a razor, a church magazine and keys.

Mrs Bennett said the letters contained references to religion and the fact that she still loved Father Hart and wished to see him again at mass. One letter said: "That will you have got from me, that will come into force in six months." She also sent Father Hart life insurance policies.

On at least 20 occasions, Father Hart had dialled 1471 on his telephone to find Quinn's telephone number.

Quinn's barrister Gordon Lakin said his client had erotomania which meant she mistakenly believed a man was in love with her. He said she had co-operated with specialists in the hospital treating her and was receiving anti-psychotic injections once a week.

The court heard that Quinn, of Dodge Holme Court, Mixenden, Halifax, had two previous convictions - one from Bingley Magistrates in 1994 for assaulting a man who showed no interest in her and the harassment charge at Calderdale Magistrates in 2001.

Jailing her, Judge Geoffrey Kamil told Quinn: "I accept that you've had a sad and troubled background and have got a personality disorder causing you to fix upon men you believe are attracted to you. I also accept that the disorder is virtually incurable and can only be controlled with some difficulty.

"What is absolutely clear is that you latched on to this poor victim and made his life a total misery over quite a long period of time. You ignored a court order and I'm quite satisfied that if released you are going to re-offend. I can at least give this poor victim and others some respite."

As well as jailing her for two year, Judge Kamil extended her restraining order to prevent her contacting Father Hart indefinitely.