County Derry man convicted of stalking former partner called her up to 30 times a day, court told

A man has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrates Court for stalking his former partner sometimes making as many as 30 phone calls a day. 

Eugene Greatbanks (23), of Killyberry Lane in Bellaghy, appeared charged with the offences that occurred between December 1 last year and February 7 this year.

Greatbanks, representing himself, pleaded guilty.

Police had received a report from his former partner that she had ended the relationship in November and that Greatbanks had been leaving 20 to 30 messages per day on her phone at all hours of the day.

The court heard that police went to the defendant's home on January 15 and warned him to cease the activity. 

However, four days later he started calling and texting the woman again and at one stage Greatbanks called a cinema when she was watching a movie, pretending that she was urgently needed for something.

He also used a friend's phone to call her after she had his number blocked, telling the friend he was calling his mother.

At one point, Greatbanks told the victim that if she contacted the police again he'd kill himself.

Greatbanks was arrested and interviewed by police on February 7 and admitted to making the phonecalls.

District Judge Barney McElhom told Greatbanks that his actions weren't getting him 'anywhere other than a prison cell', sentencing him to six months in prison suspended for two years and imposing a restraining order for three years.

He warned the defendant that if he saw the woman in the street he was to 'turn around and walk away.'