A PRISONER at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, but originally from Newtown, bombarded his ex-partner with more than 844 calls and text messages.

Marcus Dicostanzo, 27, admitted putting Jessica Williams in fear of violence in October of last year and breaching a restraining order not to contact her between October of last year and February 2 this year.

At North East Wales Magistrates' Court at Mold, he received a six month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He was warned that the lifetime restraining order remained in place under which he was not to approach her or her home in Newtown, Mid Wales.

Magistrates said that he had bombarded her with messages which were "quite startling."

They were told that accommodation had been arranged for him through the probation service in Cardiff.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said that the defendant received a 55 week prison sentence at Caernarfon Crown Court in October of last year.

The complainant regarded it as a toxic relationship and told how after he had been remanded in custody she had been able to take back control of her life.

But in a fresh statement of complaint in February she told how he had contacted her before the crown court sentencing took place.

He told her he was sorry and wanted to start again and then asked her to apply to get the restraining order removed.

The defendant continued to contact her while in prison but it was arranged that she should say she was someone else to get around prison rules about not contacting complainants.

She let her guard down and agreed to see him in prison - but gave her sister's identity.

That, she said, had been a mistake because he would question everything, what she was doing, who she was with and he hated that she spent time with her mother and sister.

He blamed her for being in prison.

His calls became more persistent, she panicked about when he would be released, and magistrates were told how he was "gate arrested" on his release.

He appeared from custody and defending solicitor Euros Jones said that while he admitted the offences it was his case that he had not initiated the calls originally.

The defendant had received news about his former partner's medical condition and he was worried and in a panic.

But he accepted the number of calls and messages he had made.