Spurned Blackpool man jailed after repeatedly contacting his ex, her new husband and her mother

Mark Donohoe, 35, of Redvers Terrace, Blackpool, exhibited bizarre behaviour, Preston Crown Court was told.

The roofer, who has a host of previous convictions, had pretended to be employed by a florist and a scaffolding firm in a bid to contact them.

Prosecutors said he had directly contacted his victim, a married mum, and her husband and even her mother.

His behaviour follows convictions for damaging her car, threatening to shoot her husband, threatening him with a machete and offering her husband £5,000 to drop charges against him.

His defence lawyer said: " This is a sad case. It's always sad when previous partners have a disagreement and separate, and it's hit Mr Donohoe particularly hard.

"He has in short failed to maturely deal with that separation.

"It is referred to within the body of the pre sentence report how his world was turned upside down quite frankly and he clearly has not been able to move on.

"He now truly accepts their relationship is no more and that he is obliged to have no further contact with her, her husband or her mother.

"He intends to honour the terms of the restraining order."

In her victim statement the woman said she was frightened and that his behaviour had put her marriage under strain, while her husband said he did not know what Donohoe would do next.

Judge Graham Knowles QC said his previous offences made the couple more vulnerable to his further offending, and made a restraining order preventing him contacting his victims or claiming to be an employee of a named florists and scaffold firm.

He added: " The defendant is a man with a long and bad record.

"The hugely aggravating feature is that the offences are committed against the same two victims.

"The defendant made it very clear to police that nothing was going to stop him from doing what he wanted to do.

"What he wanted to do was play a peculiar kind of mind game, dressing up in clothes as though he worked for other businesses, having flyers for another business. and causing real distress and concern. It is a very strange and troubling kind of behaviour."

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here