A MARRIED Lye man who became "obsessed" with another woman and then made her life a misery as he breached court orders forbidding him from making contact has been spared further time behind bars.

Judge Nicholas Webb told lovesick Patrick Mifsud courts did not normally take a lenient view of men who carried out a course of harassment - particularly when they had previous convictions for the same offence.

Sitting at Wolverhampton Crown Court, he told Mifsud: “An obsession can erode a person’s mindset to such an extent that they are ill and the courts can send someone to prison for a very long time.”

And he warned the 52-year-old if he "continued along the path" he would be locked up for a "very long time" but added that reports indicated "common sense may be looming."

The Judge added: "You must have a problem to go on committing these offences but the fact that your wife is in court gives me the confidence that you will co-operate with the Probation Service."

Mifsud, of Hill Street, admitted two charges of breaching orders not to contact the woman and he was placed under Supervision for a year.

Judge Webb further ruled an "open ended" restraining order against Mifsud made at an earlier hearing would continue.

Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting, said Mifsud had been in a relationship with the other woman for a number of years but after it ended he "made her life miserable with his harassment."

He told the court two orders had been made against Mifsud forcing him to stay away from the woman but he posted messages on Facebook that he knew would be brought to her notice by friends.

Mr Linnemann said: “In themselves they were not the most offensive but they left her extremely distressed against the background of what had happened over the years.”

Mifsud then rang the woman and said one word - "bluebells" - which was signifant because during their relationship as they walked over Clent Hills he pointed to bluebells and said if she ever left him he would bury her under the flowers.

Liz De'Oliveira, defending, said Mifsud had already spent six months behind bars after his arrest - the equivalent of a one-year jail term.

She added: "He is now of a mind to make a go of his marriage. He realises he has got to move on from this other woman. “He wants to put her behind him once and for all."

The court was told Mifsud had a number of previous convictions for harassment and breaching orders.