A STALKER tormented his pregnant ex-girlfriend by bombarding her with abusive messages and threatening to stab her brother.

Ashley Breakspear, 24, from Newport, hounded his victim while she was carrying his child after their relationship came to an end, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said the defendant sent her a barrage of abuse and accused her of being an “unfit mother”.

In one message he demanded: “Answer the phone you fat little b****!”

Breakspear left insulting comments on the woman’s Facebook and Instagram pages and made threats towards other of her family members.

He said: “I’m going to f*** you all up!”

Mr Evans read the complainant’s victim impact statement to the court.

She said: “This has had an impact on my mental health.

“I did suffer from depression and anxiety and this has made it worse.

“I’m also not sleeping.

“Every time I close my eyes I think of him and what happened.

“I’m mentally drained – I think about this all night, every night.

“Most of my friends no longer speak to me because of the threats Ashley made to them.”

Brakespear, of Clifton Place, admitted stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

The offence was committed this year.

His guilty plea put him in breach of a suspended four-month prison sentence for possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

He had 18 previous convictions for 23 offences in total.

Scott Bowen, representing the defendant, who was visibly upset throughout the hearing, asked the court to take into account his client’s remorse.

His barrister said: “He had a troubled upbringing in the care system and was pulled from pillar to post.”

Mr Bowen added: “It’s not the most serious of cases.

“The defendant genuinely wishes to apologise for his behaviour.”

The judge, Recorder Christopher Felstead, told Brakespear: “You were contacting her non-stop.

“You made serious threats and you threatened to stab her brother.

“You threatened anyone who went near her.

“Your behaviour was frankly appalling.”

The defendant was jailed for 12 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge following his release from custody halfway through his sentence.