A man who admitted harassing his ex-partner has been jailed.

The harassment put James Frederick Dowd, 51, in breach of a previous suspended sentence.

Dowd, of Peckforton Way, Upton, Chester, appeared from custody at Flintshire Magistrates Court yesterday and admitted he harassed Phillip Anthony Evans at Chirk between September 12-17.

The Mold court heard the couple had been in a 20-year relationship and it ended amicably but then last week Dowd began contacting the complainant demanding the return of a suit.

Mr Evans knew nothing of any suit but called the police when calls were made in the early hours and became more threatening.

Dowd was jailed for 10 weeks and District Judge Gwyn Jones made a two-year restraining order for him not to contact the complainant.

The judge said while the initial contact was courteous, the calls became totally inappropriate in view of their nature and timing.

They had been made in the early hours when, the judge said, the defendant had been drinking too much and was not able to see things clearly.

It occurred while he was on a suspended sentence, which he had breached for a second time.

Dowd was jailed for 10 weeks for the harassment with 10 weeks of the suspended sentence being activated concurrently.

James Neary, prosecuting, said the 20-year relationship ended in December and they had not had any contact.

However last week the complainant began to receive calls from Dowd over the return of a suit.

Mr Evans knew nothing about it and rang Dowd’s mother to tell her so but that appeared to have been the trigger for a number of calls.

There were calls at 4.40am and his sleep was affected.

The complainant was also concerned that the calls were becoming more threatening and that he might turn up at his address.

Solicitor Steve Coupe, defending, said it was conceded his client had breached the suspended sentence previously by committing an offence of being drunk and disorderly.

The split had been amicable but a relatively minor issue was raised by Dowd who appeared to have lost his self control.

He had to accept that the messages and their timings were completely in-appropriate.

It was Dowd’s case that he was not in drink at the time and that might be something that he would need to deal with in the future, said Mr Coupe.

Dowd was the sole carer for his mother, aged 78, and he tended to her day-to-day needs.

He was concerned for her welfare if he went into prison, said Mr Coupe.