Student and Teacher

Student accuses astronomer Ardon Hyland of stalking | Queensland | News.com.au

A FEMALE student has accused one of Australia's foremost astronomers of stalking her, telling a court he went through her checkout when she worked at a supermarket and asked her to fill out a student survey.

Professor Ardon Robin Hyland pleaded not guilty to stalking Rebecca Julia Smith when he appeared in a magistrates court in Townsville yesterday.

Ms Smith, 20, said Prof Hyland sent "weird" emails to her in 2006, and continually contrived to get in her checkout line at Coles so he could talk to her, the Townsville Bulletin reports.

There have been no claims of sexual approaches, suggestions or behaviour in the allegations.

Ms Smith told the court Prof Hyland would go through her checkout up to three times a week.

She said he would stand in lines four and five deep "although other checkouts were free" and stare at her.