A MAN forced to continue living with his ex-partner for two months after their relationship broke down lost his temper and threw his belongings out of a top floor window before damaging their flat, a court heard.

Plasterer Jared Old, aged 30, who appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday, broke a hallway light and smashed the glass shower screen before kicking doors and walls of communal spaces after drinking a bottle of wine.

Subsequently, Old harassed his ex-partner with suicide threats and demands to see her, the court heard.

Old, now of Eros Close, Stroud, pleaded guilty to criminal damage of his former home in Russell Street, Stroud on April 20, 2020 and to pursuing a course of conduct amounting to harassment of a woman between May 30, 2022 and June 11, 2022.

He also admitted breaching the terms of a previous community order.

Old was fined a total of £2,210 and sentenced to an 18-month community order with 30 programme days and 10 rehabilitation days.

An eight year restraining order banning Old from contacting his former partner was also imposed.

Prosecutor Alistair Haggerty said Old and the woman had lived together as partners in Russell Street for six months until the relationship ended.

They were forced to live in the same property together for a further two months because of difficulties in finding alternative accommodation.

“On April 20 last year that Old was in the process of moving out of the property and because of his anger, and having consumed a bottle of wine, he broke a light in the hallway and smashed the glass screen in the shower,” said Mr Haggerty.

“Old was in a bad temper and had already thrown his possessions out of the top floor window. He also spent time kicking doors and walls of communal spaces and other occupant’s doors.

“The landlord had to deal with the damage, and the remnants of a small fire when Old left the property. His deposit wasn’t returned. However a family member paid for the damage to the shower screen and the light.”

The court was told that after Old had moved out, he continued to harass his former partner.

Mr Haggerty said: “He sent her a number of messages threatening to commit suicide. This had an effect on her and she expressed this in communications back to him.

“His messages tried to make her feel guilty that the relationship was over.

The court was told that Old did not threaten the woman with violence but had harassed her in order to grind her down and was seeking sympathy.

The victim said in a statement that she had been frightened by his behaviour and had changed her pattern of behaviour because of it. She fully believes that Old would continue to harm her in the future because of his unpredictability, she stated.

Matthew Bolt, defending said: “Old pleaded guilty to these charges at an earlier stage in proceedings. He explains that he was angry about the relationship ending and lashed out as he was moving out of the property they shared together.

“He has a good job as a specialist plasterer and travels all over the country to ply his trade. He has a stable address and is no longer taking drugs."