A 22-year-old text pest from Andreas has been sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge for harassing his ex-girlfriend.

Ryan Stuart Corlett, of Croft Park, admitted a charge of conduct amounting to harassment and was also ordered by magistrates to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Mark Benson told the court how, on August 28, Corlett was cautioned by police and warned not to contact his ex-partner or he would be prosecuted.

He accepted the caution but the same evening the woman received a text from Corlett saying: ’My best friend got me a criminal record.’ She ignored the text but the following day two more messages were sent by Corlett with similar text.

On September 17, 19, 22, and 26 Corlett again messaged the woman by text and she eventually reported him to the police.

She said the messages had been apologetic in nature but were emotionally distressing to her.

Corlett was interviewed by police and admitted he had texted his ex-partner.

Advocate Roger Kane asked for credit to be given for his client entering a guilty plea at the first opportunity.

’My submission is that this is an offence that shouldn’t come close to crossing the custody threshold,’ said Mr Kane. ’It is at the lower end of the spectrum of harassment. The communications were all confined to text messages.

’She was his partner for four years, so from the age of 18 he was involved in a serious relationship. He didn’t handle the break-up very well.

’He’s not the first young man to be heartbroken. There was no attempt at face to face contact or threats. The messages were mainly apologetic in nature.

’Perhaps it wasn’t the content, but being contacted. She has asked him not contact her and he has done so.’

Mr Kane went on to say that the messages had not been persistent and had not been occurring every day.

He continued: ’There was a gap. The nature was perhaps more self pitying than any sinister content.’

The woman was said to have given police a statement saying: ’I do not believe he is aware how serious the matter is and how it has affected me emotionally.’

’He is well aware now,’ said Mr Kane. ’He is a man of good character who will learn a very salutary lesson going forward.

’It’s a life lesson on how to handle relationships should they break down.’

Magistrates ruled that a restraining order would not be necessary as there had been no contact by Corlett with the woman since September.