A FORMER footballer who stalked his ex-girlfriend by following her home from work and staring through her windows has narrowly avoided jail.

Paul Wratten, who played more than 50 times for Hartlepool United, admitted stalking the woman and causing harm and distress at Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard the ex-footballer, who also played for Manchester United in the early nineties, stalked the woman between September 1 and November 14 last year.

She broke down in tears after hearing the 46-year-old, of Petworth Crescent in Ingelby Barwick, changed his plea at the last minute.

Prosecutor Anne Mitchell told the court Wratten was in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend for a year before it came to an end in July 2016.

“Since then, she has been harassed by telephone, at home and at her place of work.

Ms Mitchell said on November 4, Wratten was standing in an alleyway waiting for his ex-girlfriend after she finished work, but she saw him and walked another way.

Five days later, he again appeared outside her place of work.

“She finished work at six in the evening and she began to walk home.

“He followed her walking two or three yards behind her, asking to speak to her and asked for the couple to get back on track.”

The court also heard on other occasions, Wratten been seen staring through the victim’s windows and stolen fairy lights from her garden.

Paul Crocker, defending, said Wratten was a “drunken fool not a sinister criminal”.

“He was drinking more than he should and although his family are standing by him now, he was living a solitary existence at the time."

A probation officer told the court Wratten had a serious dependency on alcohol and when she asked him if he was an alcoholic, he replied: “I suppose so”.

She also said Wratten’s life had been a case of “what might have been”.

“He was only six years old when his father died and he played football for Manchester United, but he suffered a knee injury.

“He is disgusted he can behave like this and he is ashamed of himself.

“He finds it hard to deal with a problem without alcohol."

Wratten was sentenced to six weeks behind bars which was suspended for 12 months and was also ordered to pay £100 compensation and £520 costs.

He will be subject to a restraining order for two years and was also ordered to take part in an alcohol treatment programme.

Chair of the bench John Jenkins said Wratten had avoided an immediate custodial sentence because “probation are prepared to work with you”.