A MAN who called his expartner at work 152 times in one day has been handed a restraining order.

Christopher Clarke of Bretforton Road, Honeybourne, near Evesham, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court after previously pleading guilty to charges of harassing Nicola Pius between Monday, October 21 and Sunday, November 10.

Prosecutor Jackie Rogers told the court the two had known each other for many years and had begun a relationship in April this year.

Although they split up in September, they continued to live together as Clarke, aged 43, had nowhere else to go. However, she said he had become extremely possessive towards her, constantly calling her and demanding to know where she was, and eventually Miss Pius asked him to leave.

Mrs Rogers said that on Tuesday, October 22, Miss Pius had gone to work as normal as a radio operator at Central Taxis in Worcester and that Clarke had called her workplace 152 times throughout the day demanding to speak to her.

“Her manager was aware of this and it became quite a problem,” she said.

“At one time the supervisor spoke to him and told him to stop calling but he kept doing it.” She said since this time Clarke had sent her numerous messages on Facebook saying things like “I will do time for you”, which had upset Miss Pius.

“He was asked what he thought the effect might be on Miss Pius of receiving that many calls and he accepted that it might have scared her,” she said. Nick Roberts, defending, said Clarke had attempted to kill himself in October and had been briefly detained under the Mental Health Act.

“It’s clear he was unable to recognise the relationship was over,” he said.

“He needs to do some work in relation to his attitudes towards women.”

He was handed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting Miss Pius or Central Taxis and was also sentenced to a nine-month community order including supervision and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.