A man banned from seeing his former partner became angry when she told him his horse had died. Robert Hughes took issue about where the pet had been buried and turned up "furious" the next day.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Hughes, 51, had been prohibited from contacting his ex Julia Barker in 2009 and arriving at her home following the horse's death was one of four breaches of that restraining order. Hughes admitted making the breaches by harassing his ex.

Today a judge Mr Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones jailed the defendant for 12 months for the breach at her home and for nine months for each of the remaining three breaches, to run concurrent to the main sentence.

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Prosecutor Catherine Elvin said Hughes, of Llygaid yr Haul, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and Ms Barker had been in an on off relationship for 26 years. But the relationship came to a head in 2009.

He was given a community order with an indefinite restraining order not to contact Ms Barker other than through a solicitor or third party. But on June 28 Hughes rang Ms Barker.

He was drunk and slurring his words. Ms Elvin told how his horse had died and the former couple's adult daughter was worried about how her Dad would react.

Ms Barker nevertheless told Hughes the news and he became angry and took issue with where the horse was buried in a field.

The following day June 29 an "intoxicated and furious" Hughes burst into Ms Barker's home. Ms Barker told him to leave but he refused.

During his visit he pulled out his false teeth, causing his gum to bleed, and threw them across a room. But the adult daughter - who was not named in court - recorded some of the encounter, which was played in court.

Then on July Ms Barker was walking to work at a charity for young, vulnerable people in Gwynedd. She saw Hughes across the street and he shouted: "Are you trying to get me arrested?", the court heard.

Ms Barker had a panic attack and got into a car and drove away. There were other breaches in August and September when Hughes rang Ms Barker repeatedly sometimes drunk.

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Police were called and the defendant admitted the offences. In a victim statement Ms Barker says she is afraid of bumping into Hughes and is on anti-depressants.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said his client has been dry since he has been on remand. Being in custody "no pun intended has had a sobering impact on him", he added.

He invited the court to suspend the inevitable custodial sentence. But the judge told Hughes: "You don't seem to understand the effect your behaviour has on her (Ms Barker), your daughter and no doubt your elderly mother.

"A suspended sentence would not be an adequate punishment for these persistent and deliberate offences."

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