ANNA KOURNIKOVA - KOURNIKOVA 'STALKER' RULED 'INCOMPETENT'

Tennis beauty ANNA KOURNIKOVA's alleged stalker WILLIAM LEPESKA was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial by a Florida judge on Wednesday (06APR05).

Lepeska, 40, was arrested on 30 January (05) in Miami Beach after he allegedly swam 182 metres (200 yards) across Florida's Biscayne Bay in search of the Russian athlete's $5 million (GBP2.6 million) waterfront home.

Circuit Judge DIANE WARD ordered Lepeska be removed from the Miami court yesterday, after he repeatedly shuffled papers in a loud manner and spoke in a disjointed and fragmented way.

Two psychiatrists and one psychologist, who analysed Lepeska in jail, testified the accused had behaved similarly in prison and is not taking any medication.

Ward said, "His illness is very legitimate."

Ward has ordered Lepeska to be treated at a local mental facility for the next six months, and could be tried on charges, relating to the incidents with Kournikova, if his condition improves.

Lepeska could face up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty on charges of battering police officers, resisting arrest and burglary.

Lepeska was jailed for seven years in 1995 following a frenzied knife attack on a sleeping college student at the Wisconsin-Milwaukee University campus.