A MAN who followed, threatened, and sent up to 30 emails a day to his wife after their marriage broke down has been warned he faces prison if he continues to offend.

Stephen Lloyd had been in a relationship with the victim for 11 years, but she said the marriage had broken down over the past four years.

Lloyd, 64, of Llansadwrn, denied a charge of stalking dated between February and October this year, but admitted an alternative offence of harassment. This plea was accepted by the prosecution.

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Swansea Crown Court heard that when the victim began looking for suitable houses to move out to at the start of the year, Lloyd threw a plate at her.

She went with their children to stay at her friend’s address and blocked his number. This resulted in her getting “up to 30 emails a day” from Lloyd, Mr Walters said, prosecuting.

These included allegations that she was in relationships with other men and pictures of him sitting outside where she was living.

Mr Walters said the defendant complained about not getting to see their children, but “when she did bring the children to see him, he would cause arguments and upset them”.

On February 16, the victim noticed that Lloyd was following her in his vehicle for around a mile and a half, and on another occasion – after he refused to see the children, which upset them – she saw his vehicle next to them when she and a friend took the children to get ice cream to cheer them up.

One of the emails Lloyd sent with an image of him outside the victim’s house said: ‘I’ll wait for you to come home. Got plenty of time’.

He also sent her abuse, including telling her to “drop dead” and “f*** off”, as well as telling her she should “do us all a favour” and implying she should attempt suicide.

Mr Walters said the victim received “hundreds of messages, all accusing her of destroying the family”.

“The defendant’s actions caused her to fear and dread returning to her own home,” the prosecutor added.

Lloyd was arrested on May 25. He was released on bail and was barred from directly contacting the victim. However, he continued to send her abuse.

The 64-year-old has 10 previous convictions for 12 offences.

James Hartson, defending, said Lloyd had not offended since 1984.

He argued that a restraining order could not be imposed without an application from the victim.

Addressing Lloyd, Judge Geraint Walters said: “You need to understand behaviour of this sort, particularly if its repeated, will inevitably lead to a prison sentence.

“You will lose contact with those children in the end.

“Children shouldn’t be witness to this kind of bickering.”

He was sentenced to an 18-month community order, as part of which he must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

No evidence was presented on a charge of committing an act with intent to pervert the course of public justice, and a not guilty verdict was passed for that count.