An obsessed pest who has repeatedly flouted a restraining order aimed at stopping him contacting his former partner even managed to get to her from prison.
Time and time again, Bryan Stubbs has left his ex living in fear by refusing to leave her alone.
Despite being jailed for a total of more than 16 years since being sentenced for harassing her in 2013, the grandfather continues to make her a life a misery.
Go here for the latest crime news and breaking North East police updates
When he was jailed for 32 months in 2020, she should have been safe but even from behind bars in HMP Northumberland, he managed to contact her with two letters.
In the first, received on April 14 last year, he spoke about family matters then asked "who are you s******g now".
He got a fellow inmate to write a second letter, believing that gave it a greater chance of getting through to her, which was received the following day and which she struggled to read due to the bad handwriting.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said him continuing contact has left her anxious, adding: "I worry about him hanging around where I live and following me.
"I don't know what it will take for him to move on and stop bothering me."
She said she has struggled to have relationships as a result and changed her job as she didn't feel safe where she was.
The court heard Stubbs, living in Carlisle at the time, was convicted of harassing her in 2013 and was given a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting her.
But in January 2014 he was jailed for 16 months for sending texts to her and attending her home.
In September 2014 he got 32 months for pushing a note through her door, texting her and walking past her workplace.
In 2015 he got 20 months prison after sending nine letters to her from prison.
In 2016 he got 40 months after posting pictures through her door, visiting her home and breaking a window.
In 2018 he sent ten letters and a birthday card from prison and was jailed for 56 months.
In 2020 he was jailed for 32 months after making 100 calls in a day to her, within days of being released on licence.
He was still serving that sentence when the latest offence happened.
The court heard his 35 previous convictions also include offences against another former partner.
In 2009 he was convicted of breaching a restraining order, in 2010 and 2011 he committed three further breaches, in 2012 he was jailed for harassment and in 2013 he breached the restraining order again and was convicted of two more counts of harassment.
In the latest offence, Stubbs, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and was jailed for eight months, to start in September this year, after he has completed the previous sentence. He was also given a new restraining order.
Recorder Shakil Najib told him: "You have shown a total disregard for the court orders you have been given.
"There's a high risk you will continue to offend.
"You have repeatedly and persistently breached restraining orders made to protect her since 2013. For more than eight years, she has suffered at your hands.
"You have given no thought about how your behaviour has affected her life. It's caused her distress and anguish."
Jamie Adams, defending, said: "There was no physical contact or damaging property, as there was in the past but I accept she is going to be spooked by his behaviour.
"He has finally realised his obsessive behaviour can and will be disturbing to her.
"He has four grandchildren, all of whom he is missing terribly because he has not been able to see them growing up because of his behaviour in relation to his offending and he regrets that."
Sign up to our newsletter for the latest crime and court news in the North East
