A STALKER who used abusive text messages to terrorise his former girlfriend has narrowly escaped jail.

Paul Buckham, 30, of The Crescent, South Shields, became infatuated with Michelle Jopling after their short-term relationship broke up last summer, and he embarked on a five-month long stalking campaign.

Roger Moore, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "At one stage, the lady concerned hardly went out at all, and moved to her sister's, then her parents', to get away from this intrusion into her life. It seems pretty obvious he was infatuated with this lady and could not stop contacting her."

Mr Justice Henriquez fined the father of one £250, and issued a restraining order after hearing he had got a job more than 200 miles away at a hotel near Inverness.

The indefinite order means Buckham, who admitted harassment, must stay away from Miss Jopling and not contact her at all or he will face jail.

Mr Justice Henriquez said: "Quite why you should think she should want to hear anything from you I just do not know.

"You seem to have had some sort of idea she may wish in some way to hear from you, and that there was some purpose to sending her messages, voice messages and the like.

"You need to forget completely about Michelle and get on with the rest of your life."