A man who repeatedly ignored a ban on contacting his ex has been jailed.

Justin Littlewood was barred from contacting her by a non-molestation order made in August.

The order banned the 27-year-old from speaking with her or going to her Mirfield home, but he breached this between September 5 and 15.

During this time the victim received several missed calls and texts from Littlewood.

Prosecutor Vanessa Jones told Kirklees magistrates that the couple had been in a relationship for three years.

Their baby daughter was born the same month she obtained the one-year order from Huddersfield Family Court.

Mrs Jones explained that after Littlewood contacted her she provided screen shots of her mobile phone to police and he was arrested.

The offence put him in breach of a suspended sentence handed to him for offences of assault and breach of the non-molestation order.

But Littlewood claimed that the contact between them had been two ways.

His solicitor Craig Sutcliffe explained: “His relationship with the victim had resumed and he’d been told that she’d sought the removal of the order and that it was no longer being enforced.

“So whilst the order was in place at her request, she’s perhaps not shown it the respect it deserved.”

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Mr Sutcliffe added that there was a disagreement between the couple regarding infidelity on both sides and that led to her recent complaint to police.

Magistrates were told that Littlewood, now of Windsor View in Shaw Cross, Dewsbury, had spent more than eight weeks on remand since being charged with the breach.

While he immediately admitted the offence, he said that his ex had been in regular contact with him too.

This led to the case being listed for a Newton hearing, a form of mini trial to determine the true facts in order to sentence him.

The hearing was listed last week but Littlewood was able to be sentenced on Thursday after the prosecution reached an agreement with his solicitor.

Mr Sutcliffe said: “He’s never been to custody before and this has been a salutary lesson to him.

“It’s an experience he has no desire to repeat again.

“He recognises now that he should not have simply taken the complainant’s word for it and should have waited for the court order to be formally rescinded.”

Magistrates activated Littlewood’s suspended jail term, jailing him for 16 weeks although the time he has spent on remand will count towards this.

He will have to pay £115 victim surcharge upon his release.