Stalker bombarded ex-partner with more than 500 text messages seven years after they split up

Darren Adamson, 39, pleaded guilty to stalking when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard how despite the former couple having parted in 2012, from September last year Adamson sent the mother of two of his children the vast quantity of messages.

Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said Adamson, of Washington’s Pinewood Avenue, had been in a relationship with the victim for ten years before they split up.

Reading from a victim statement, Ms Beck said around 2019 the couple were using a parenting app to allow for child contact arrangements.

However, the statement, said: “Unfortunately, Darren used the app to bombard me with messages not related to child contact.”

The victim stopped using the app and said Adamson then started to send numerous text messages, around 500 in total from September last year to February this year.

She said the vast majority of the text messages were blaming her for the relationship breakdown, with things such as ‘saying he would do anything to get back into my life’.

The statement said: “It has caused me stress and anxiety. I am really upset and distressed by all of these messages.

“When I receive a message it really puts me in an awful mood and upsets me and puts me in a bad mood all day.

“I feel so tormented by him.”

Tracy Wood, defending, said none of the messages were threatening, it was just the volume of them that was the issue.

She said her client had been struggling with a number of problems including depression and anxiety, as well as dealing with bereavement following the death of his father.

She said he has contacted his GP for help and is hopeful of getting things back on track.

Ms Wood said: “He has just been struggling generally and dealing with psychological health problems.”

Adamson, of previous good character, was given a 12-month community order and fined £250. He was also made the subject of a restraining order and told to pay costs of £85 and a £90 surcharge.