A CONVICTED stalker has appeared back in court for sending a woman a Valentine’s Day card.

Jonathan O’Brien spent time in prison after being jailed in March 2022 for stalking the same victim, causing her serious alarm and distress.

The 43-year-old was also made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the woman by any means.

But that is exactly what he did, but magistrates decided against sending him back to custody.

Warrington Magistrates’ Court heard from prosecutor Nicola Parr how the defendant was jailed for 20 months at Chester Crown Court in March 2022.

This came after he admitted stalking involving serious alarm and distress, as well as possession of a Stanley knife in public and obstructing a police officer.

Between the end of October and mid-November 2021, O’Brien made numerous fake profiles to communicate with the victim.

He also sent her letters, attended family members address and left multiple voicemails.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the defendant was handed an indefinite restraining order outlining that any contact with her would be prohibited.

But on February 14 this year, O’Brien breached this order by sending her a Valentine’s Day card.

Having changed his plea to guilty, O’Brien was told by magistrates how this offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified.

They remarked how the incident was aggravated due to the level of harm and distress caused, as well as by the defendant’s previous convictions.

However, after deeming him to be a realistic prospect for rehabilitation, they did not make the jail term immediate.

O’Brien, of Quadrant House in Warrington town centre, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to complete 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £85.