A Sunderland man who breached a restraining order by bombarding his ex-girlfriend with numerous calls and messages has been jailed.
Jaq Martin was given a two-year restraining order against the woman after being convicted of battery when he spat in her face during an argument in a car last year. But the 22-year-old was hauled back in front of a judge at Newcastle Crown Court this week after he breached the order by contacting the woman from a private number on February 16.
Rachel Glover, prosecuting, said the woman received a call from Martin at around 7pm, where he aggressively accused her of "having a relationship with someone else". Ms Glover said he then tried to call her back 10 times in the space of eight minutes. He later sent her an email telling her to "go and rot" and made threats to cause damage.
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Ms Glover said that Martin continued to bombard her with calls, and between 7pm and 10.22pm she received "100 phone calls and 10 emails." Two days later the woman received two more emails where Martin begged her to speak to him and asking to see his son.
The court heard that on April 9 the woman received missed calls from an unknown number, but when she answered Martin "screamed sorry at her" before she ended the call. In a victim statement the woman said she was "genuinely scared" of Martin. She said: "It's like he's obsessed, I just want rid of him. I am scared of him. I just want to be able to live without being in fear."
Kate Barnes, defending, said Martin had been trying to make child contact arrangements with the victim and that "things came to a head in February". She said: "He had been promised contact with his son over Christmas and was let down with that...he was furious and desperate. He was desperate to maintain good contact with his son."
She said: "His behaviour was absolutely appalling and he knows that. He regrets the affect it will have on the prospect of contact with his son. Ms Barnes added that Martin was "extremely articulate and very hard working".
Martin, of Tel El Kabir Road, Hendon, Sunderland, admitted breach of a restraining order and breach of a suspended sentence he was previously given for driving offences. Judge Stephen Earl sentenced him to 18 months in prison with a new two-and-a-half year restraining order.
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