Mel Gibson Testifies Against Alleged Stalker
Famed director of “The Passion Of The Christ” Mel Gibson testified on Thursday in a Los Angeles courtroom against the man accused of stalking him.
Gibson recalled briefly leaving his seat on Sept. 19 at his Malibu church and returning to find the man, 34-year-old Zack Sinclair, sitting there. According to Gibson, Sinclair spoke with his right hand only inches from the actor's face saying: “I’m here to pray with you.”
"He wasn't scary or overly threatening," Gibson testified today of his face-to-face encounter with Sinclair, who was escorted out of the chapel after the incident. "But he didn't have a sense of personal boundaries."
Gibson, 49, said his primary worry is for his family.
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"My wife was upset and worried. She didn't want to find him in the living room drinking tea," said Gibson who had previously signed papers approving a restraining order against Sinclair to "decrease stress on my wife and therefore me because these things run downhill."
Sinclair, who was previously committed to a mental institution in Idaho, was initially arrested in October of last year for violating the restraining order only 24 hours after its issuing.
At that point, Gibson said today, he felt "maybe this is more of a problem than I thought."
Gibson also testified that Sinclair wrote him nearly a dozen letters, portions of which the actor read today in court that referenced Sinclair's time in an institution. One of them began, "Dear Mel, I've spent a lot of time praying for you." Many ended with: "Love, Zack Sinclair."
Sinclair, who is representing himself during the trial, chose to avoid questioning Gibson on the stand, living up to his opening statement that he would take a "rather passive" role in the trial and rely on God for his defense.
If convicted, Sinclair, who is charged with one count of felony stalking, could receive up to 16 months in jail and probation.
