Halle Berry gets restraining order on man

LOS ANGELES - Actress Halle Berry won a three-year restraining order on Monday against a San Francisco security guard she says sent a series of threatening letters to her home.

The man, identified as Robert Sawyer, said in court papers his contact with Berry was a result of mistaken identity and possible fraud and he begged the Oscar-winning actress for forgiveness.

Neither Berry nor Sawyer was in court for Monday's hearing where a judge ordered Sawyer to stay away from Berry's home and place of work and stop phoning, emailing or writing to her.

Sawyer wrote in documents submitted to the court that the contacts started after he met an attractive woman who introduced herself as Halle Berry and asked him to write a manuscript for her.

"I think Berry and myself are victims of mistaken identity, and possible fraud," he said. He apologised for "disturbing (Berry) the way I've done. It was not my intention to do so."

According to papers filed on behalf of the actress, Sawyer wrote saying he wanted to spend Valentine's Day with Berry.

"Leave a message where I can reach you. I'm not playing now," he wrote.

Referring to the manuscript he had written, Sawyer added; "Call me. I'm serious, so stop horsing around. I'm tired as hell of not hearing from you. I was told that you'd talk to me when I finished. Its (sic) finished, so call me damn it."

- REUTERS