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Cops: stalker was delusional Trial begins for man accused of harassing Martina Hingis
MIAMI (AP) -- The man accused of stalking Martina Hingis was "deranged and delusional" when he was warned to stay away from the tennis star, a police officer testified Friday. Miami-Dade police Sgt. Eric Rossman, security coordinator at the 2000 Ericsson Open, warned Dubravko Rajcevic that he risked a trespassing arrest if he didn't honor a warning to stay out of the Key Biscayne park where the annual tournament is played. The 46-year-old, Croatian-born naval engineer and Australian citizen returned twice and was arrested both times. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted of stalking and three counts of trespassing, all misdemeanors. Rossman said he drew his conclusion about Rajcevic's mental state based in part on two rambling handwritten letters given to him by Hingis' manager, Mario Widmer. The Swiss player was 18 at the time, and Rajcevic claimed she loved him. "I haven't seen you at time but feelings are still high," said Rajcevic, who wrote the letters in English and speaks broken English. "Your musical and sweet voice also I missed." Defense attorney Frank Abrams asked Rossman whether Rajcevic told him that then-President Clinton and then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had introduced him to the player and that he knew the director of the FBI. The sergeant said Rajcevic mentioned them. "Obviously, I felt your client was deranged and delusional," Rossman said on the opening day of testimony. Three psychological evaluations last July concluded Rajcevic was delusional about Hingis but agreed he was legally competent to stand trial. Rajcevic regularly sent love letters and flowers to Hingis, starting in January 1999, frequently called her at hotels and came to the gate of her home. By chance, Hingis answered once at a hotel and told him to leave her alone, Assistant State Attorney Ergio Fernandez said in his opening statement. "She asked him to stop. She asked him to leave her alone. She asked him to stay away from her, and he didn't," Fernandez said. "Martina became the object of his long and wide journey of his obsession." Rajcevic laughed and shook his head as Fernandez described how security officers kicked him out of a German tournament after warnings from Hingis' manager. Abrams denied Rajcevic ever threatened Hingis. In his initial comments to the eight-member jury, he said, "I will be defending a man's right to love a woman and to pursue the object of his affection as a legitimate and non-malicious purpose in this world." Circuit Judge Kevin Emas sent the jury out of the courtroom during Abrams' opening remarks after he banged the podium with his hand and repeatedly violated rules restricting the content of his statements. "This will not be played to the camera. This is not off-Broadway," the judge told both sides, threatening to remove a Court TV camera and other media from the courtroom if lawyers didn't control themselves. Abrams acknowledged that Rajcevic sent Hingis a long series of letters expressing his love and encouragement. But after Rajcevic was arrested a year ago, Abrams said, "All my client wanted was for Ms. Hingis to personally tell him her feelings." Rajcevic was arrested on a trespass charge last March 31, was released on bond, returned to the tournament two days later and was arrested again. Circuit Judge Gerald Klein, called as the first witness, said he ordered Rajcevic at a bond hearing on the first arrest to have no contact with Hingis. After the second arrest, Rajcevic refused an offer to be freed without bond on the condition that he would have no contact with Hingis for two years. She is expected to testify Monday, and the trial is scheduled to end next week.
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