South Shields pest jailed for sending messages saying 'boo' to his ex-girlfriend

Colin Lowrie was given a restraining order to keep him away from the woman in 2021, after they split up because he "strangled" her.

The 29-year-old was given a chance to keep his freedom in September last year, when a judge deferred sentence after he breached the order by hanging around her house and contacting her by phone, to see if he could keep out of trouble.

A new restraining order was also made on that date as the old one had expired.

But Prosecutor Cainan Lonsdale told Newcastle Crown Court just a month later Lowrie tried to contact the victim via the social media app Instagram.

Mr Lonsdale said: "On October 23 the defendant messaged her via Instagram, saying 'boo' and also attempted to follow her Instagram account."

The woman said in a statement after she received the message: "I want to move on with my life. The restraining order has helped me do that. However, receiving that message has caused me a great deal of stress which I neither want nor need."

Mr Lonsdale said the woman was contacted again, via the social media app, within weeks.

He told the court: "On November 15 the same thing again, a further message saying 'boo' and a further request to follow her."

Lowrie, of Sunderland Road, South Shields, admitted breaches of the restraining order and also breach of an unrelated suspended sentence.

Judge Sarah Mallett jailed him for a total of 28 months.

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Judge Mallett said the cumulative affect on the victim must be considered when there is persistent breaches of restraining orders and "when even court orders don't appear to have any affect on someone's behaviour, when they simply won't accept a relationship is over."

The judge told Lowrie: "The steps that have been taken, short of immediate custody, to persuade you to change your behaviour have been unsuccessful.

"You have come to the end of the line with that."

The court heard Lowrie had a problematic upbringing and has learning difficulties.