A 43-year-old Ballasalla man has admitted harassing his estranged wife.

Shaun Robert Milligan, of Abbots Way, pleaded guilty to conduct amounting to harassment and will be sentenced on September 8.

He had other charges against him of making nuisance telephone calls and provoking behaviour withdrawn.

He will be sentenced in summary court after a probation report has been completed.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that, on June 2, police issued Milligan with a Police Information Notice (PIN), which is often issued as an initial warning in harassment type cases.

However, despite this, on July 4 Milligan’s wife said that he asked her via text to meet him at Costa Coffee at the Sea Terminal. She said she did but left after she said he became aggressive.

She said he told her: ’I’ll catch him. I’ll find out who he is. I’ve got a score to settle.’

The woman then said Milligan had approached her in Jaks bar in Douglas and made her feel uncomfortable on another occasion.

She said another time he blocked her car in at Spring Valley Road in Douglas and told her: ’He’s getting it. I know where he lives.’

The woman said Milligan had also called her from a phone box and said: ’You know it’s me.Stop threatening me with the police. I’m gonna break his jaw.’

Milligan was arrested on July 13 and when interviewed said he had received the PIN but had not read it, though he said he knew what it was about.

He claimed that he had only been in contact with his wife after she had contacted him first and had only hoped to persuade her to come back to him.

He admitted he had made ’empty threats’ but said that there was no intent.

Ms Carroon said that a restraining order would be sought when sentence takes place.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood entered a basis of plea on behalf of his client in which Milligan said that his wife had agreed to meet him at Costa despite the PIN.

He denied approaching her in Jaks and also said that the incident when she claimed he had blocked her in had been a chance encounter during which she had asked him to stop to discuss maintenance.

Milligan admitted calling the woman from the phone box saying that he had been annoyed, and that he had grabbed her car door and made threats to her new partner.

Mr Wood said that the marriage had ended after 13 years and that ’feelings have been running high’.

’Mr Milligan would wish to reassure the court he is well along the process of moving on,’ said the advocate.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes ordered that the probation report consider all options, including custody.

Bail continues with a condition to contact probation.