A HASLINGDEN dad stalked his estranged wife, leaving her terrified after a three-week campaign in which he contacted her about 100 times, a court heard.

Burnley magistrates were told how Sydney West, 40, bombarded mother-of-one Kirsty West with emails and texts and was given a harassment warning by police within days of their marriage split.

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West ignored it and carried on sending unwanted messages, followed the victim in her car and even changed the password on her mobile phone so he could look at data.

The hearing was told West, who had a caution for harassing his ‘previous ex-wife’, also left drunken voice mails for the victim at night. Some of the contact was because he wanted custody of the family dog – and the animal was now back living with him.

West, of Walnut Avenue, admitted stalking involving serious alarm or distress, which had an adverse effect on Mrs West's usual day-to-day activities, on or between July 7 and August 14, at Haslingden.

He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the allegation but changed his plea on the day he was due to be tried.

The defendant was bailed until the end of October, for a pre-sentence report, on condition he does not contact Mrs West directly or indirectly, except through solicitors and does not go to a part of Haslingden.

Charlotte Crane, prosecuting, said the parties had been together for seven years and married four years ago. The Wests' relationship broke down on about July 7 and on July 12, police spoke to the defendant and gave him a harassment warning. Between July 29 and August 18, West contacted Kirsty West about 100 times.

The prosecutor said the defendant followed Mrs West in her vehicle, managed to access her mobile phone and changed the password. Miss Crane continued :" He actually paid her bill and started emailing and texting her, telling her. "You owe me some money."

The prosecutor said West had a caution for harassment from 2000 and a conviction for assault causing actual bodily harm from 2007.

Keith Rennison, for West, said: “He accepts he's a pest. That's generally his nature”.