A NORTHWICH man has avoided jail for wilfully failing to comply with the terms of a restraining order.

Gavin Foy, of Royle Street, committed six separate breaches of the order over a two-month period, and was handed a 20-week term behind bars.

However, the sentence was suspended for a period of two years, during which time the 39-year-old must comply with various requirements, including an alcohol treatment programme.

The restraining order had been imposed on June 23 this year after Foy was convicted of sending menacing and grossly offensive messages to a woman in March.

That terms of that order did not deter Foy as he continued his campaign of harassment on July 19, before contacting her again several times throughout August, and continued to do so until the end of September.

Appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Friday, November 12, Foy admitted every single one of the charges and was also re-sentenced for the original offence, with a six-week prison sentence imposed, to run concurrently but also suspended for two years.

During the two years of that suspended sentence Foy will receive treatment for alcohol dependency for three months and must complete a building better relationships programme.

Giving their reasons for the sentence, Magistrates told Foy it was because the offences were considered so serious and represented ‘a wilful and persistent failure to comply’ and because they were committed shortly after the order was imposed.

Foy must also pay a surcharge of £128 to fund victim services and £85 in prosecution costs.

*This article originally stated Foy had been jailed. This was incorrect as a suspended sentence had in fact been imposed. We apologise for any upset this has caused.