A MAN from Prestatyn who breached a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his ex-partner on four occasions has been jailed.

James Prendergast, 38, of Eden Avenue, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment at Mold Crown Court today (June 24).

He had previously admitted four counts of breaching a restraining order.

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Prosecuting, Simon Parry told the court that, on August 9, 2023 Prendergast was handed a suspended sentence and a six-year restraining order after he had assaulted his former partner, Jessica Hughes.

But he breached the order repeatedly in the following months, including by sending her numerous text messages, phone calls, voice notes and emails.

On March 26, he made 12 unanswered phone calls to Ms Hughes, who ultimately told Prendergast to “leave her alone”.

Further messages from Prendergast to Ms Hughes including him calling her a “horrible b****” and telling her: “watch what I do now to f****** p*** you off even more, and I mean incredibly”.

Prendergast was arrested in Prestatyn on May 4; when police interviewed him, he admitted breaching the order but claimed Ms Hughes had, in some cases, initiated contact with him.

When the voice notes he had sent Ms Hughes were played to him, he laughed, Mr Parry said.

In a statement, Ms Hughes said Prendergast has left her feeling “extremely vulnerable” and “constantly wary of people around me”.

“He would always whittle me down to nothing,” she added.

Defending Prendergast, who had 14 previous convictions for 30 offences, Richard Edwards said his client now “recognises how inappropriate his behaviour has been”.

Mr Edwards added that Prendergast is “ashamed” of and “embarrassed” by his actions, which he now regrets.

But he said that the defendant, who works as an electrician, now has a “firm resolve not to breach the order again”, and “wants nothing further to do” with Ms Hughes.

Sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands told Prendergast that he had shown a “complete disregard for court orders”.

“You chose to completely ignore the terms of the restraining order, and with it, the suspended sentence, and did so repeatedly,” he added.