A MAN who breached bail conditions by harassed his victim with hundreds of messages and calls has received a suspended jail sentence and a restraining order.

Matthew Hutton, 47, of Claremont Crescent, Newbury, pleaded guilty to harassment without violence, sending communications conveying indecent or offensive messages, actual bodily harm, criminal damage and common assault of an emergency worker.

He was sentenced to a 30-week prison sentence. which has been suspended for two years, and given a two-year restraining order.

In August, police were called to an address in Royal Wootton Bassett following reports of Hutton breaching bail conditions linked to an assault and criminal damage offences in 2019.

Despite being told not to contact this victim, Hutton had been doing so more than 100 times a day via WhatsApp messages, phone calls and text messages.

On the day before the victim reported Hutton to the police, they received 21 calls in one afternoon. On one of the calls, Hutton was abusive and made a racist comment to them.

He was arrested on August 9 and taken to Gablecross police station where he became aggressive, made homophobic comments to the detention officer and tried to headbutt and spit at them. He was subsequently arrested for assault on an emergency worker.

PC Jonathan Kilburn said: "This is a case of persistent harassment since November last year and the victim has been subjected to months of threats and abuse.

"Despite clear bail conditions being put in place, Hutton has shown a complete disregard to these to the point the victim feared for her safety.

"Nobody should ever be made to feel that way and harassment can have a serious impact on the victim's mental health as well as their overall wellbeing and is why we take these types of offenses extremely seriously.

"I hope this sentence shows the support that is available to victims of harassment and domestic violence and we will always be there to listen and investigate."

If you are a victim of domestic violence, or you have concerns about someone you know, advice and support is available from www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/1132/Domestic-Abuse