'Verbally abusive' - Jail for South Tyneside pest who bombarded his ex with hundreds of calls
Judge issues restraining order on South Tyneside man who bombarded his ex with hundreds of unwanted calls.
A pest who bombarded his ex with hundreds of phone calls after they split has been jailed.
Kevin Clark did not stop ringing the victim even after he was arrested and released on bail, with conditions not to contact her.
Newcastle Crown Court heard on just one day last August Clark rang the woman a total of 32 times.
Prosecutor Cole Cockburn said the former couple had been in a 16-year relationship which ended in early last year.
Mr Cockburn said Clark started ringing the victim, up to 20 times per day, which led to her contacting the police.
Clark was arrested, said the calls were to "get her back", then released on bail with conditions that included him having no contact with the woman and staying away from her home.
Mr Cockburn added: "Between July 29 and September 17 Mr Clark used a withheld number to make 174 unwanted calls to her.
“The call log record shows the overwhelming majority were either unanswered or declined.
"She answered some of the calls and recognised his voice. In some of the calls he was verbally abusive.
"Between August 11 and September 17 Mr Clark used a number to make a further 190 calls to her. Again, the overwhelming majority of the calls were either unanswered or declined.
"The highest number of calls made by him on any given day was 32 calls, on August 14. The records also confirm he contacted her nearly every day of that period.
"He also sent her a number of text messages telling her he missed her and asking if she had packed it in with her boyfriend."
Mr Cockburn said the victim told Clark "more than once" to stop contacting her but her plea was ignored.
Clark, 59, of Delval Court, Boldon, admitted harassment.
Mr Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced him to 10-weeks behind bars, which he has already served on remand.
The recorder said: "This was persistent, on an almost daily basis, for four-and-a-half months."
Recorder Latimer issued a restraining order for five years to protect the victim.
Sam Faulks, defending, said Clark has been in custody on remand and is now "keen to avoid" any contact with the victim.