'I will proper finish you': Northumberland man sent threatening texts to woman he met on dating site

A man from Northumberland sent threatening texts to a woman he met on a dating site, a court heard.

James White, who was never intimate with the woman from Bedlington, began bombarding her with texts after she said she no longer wanted to have contact with him.

In one day, he sent 28 messages before sending one stating "What you doing s*****g about, I will proper finish you."

It left the Bedlington woman frightened to be in her own home and scared to be alone, magistrates were told.

The police were called and White was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to a malicious communications offence.

Sarah Malkinson, prosecuting at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court, said White met the victim through a dating website earlier this year but never had a sexual relationship with her.

She added: "On February 23, the victim advised the defendant that she didn't want to continue contact with him. He kept texting, 28 in total that day.

"On February 28, she met with the defendant outside her home address where she told him to leave her alone.

"Later that day, towards the evening, she received a message from the defendant saying "I was round your house, it's all in darkness, where are you? Just be straight with us, you owe and explanation".

The court heard that White then sent a further message stating "Can you answer your phone? What you doing s*****g about, I will proper finish you".

The text frightened the victim enough to call the police. In a statement, she said: "It made me feel unsafe in my own home and I don't want to be here on my own."

Catherine Fowle, defending said White, who has two past convictions, was remorseful, had now found employment and had pleaded guilty.

Chairing magistrate, Jacqueline Conroy, said: "You have pleaded guilty to a serious offence - it's not something we can take lightly."

James White was sentenced to an 18-month community order, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge, as well as being given a restraining order that bans him from contacting the victim for two years.