A mother was bombarded with a string abusive of calls and messages from her former partner in the middle of the night after he struggled to come to terms with their relationship being over.

Andrew Dennis, 42, was sent to prison by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court for carrying out the spree of harassment against the mother of his two children.

The pair had got into an argument in July at a local music festival after Dennis had been drinking heavily.

The following day he came around to her house shouting abuse and she watched on as he let her car tyres down.

Then last month Dennis, of Eden Mount, Penrith, began to repeatedly telephone his former partner asking if the relationship was definitely over and they had been in discussions about how to arrange child contact and support.

He then started to become abusive in text messages saying he would stop child support payments until he had a paternity test taken. His behaviour in this vain continued over the next few days.

It was then overnight between September 13 and 14 that Dennis woke up his former partner about 1.40am with a phone call, again asking if the relationship was really over.

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor said: "He was told categorically he shouldn't ring her any more. She had a further four phone calls in quick succession on her mobile phone.

"She had further calls on her landline which she didn't answer."

Dennis then left a series of abusive voicemail messages and text messages on her mobile phone and she reported the incident to the police.

Ms McGregor said it left the victim "exceptionally upset".

Dennis was arrested for the incident but after being released he broke his bail conditions by contacting his former partner through Facebook. He was the rearrested.

Proving background to the case, Ms McGregor told the court how the pair had been in a relationship for 14 years but it had broken down about two years ago, resulting in Dennis going around to her property with a knife and trying to gain entry.

However, the relationship had been rekindled some time later.

Dennis pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment without violence and breaching his bail conditions for the latest offences.

In a police interview he admitted sending the messages and making the calls to his ex-partner.

Addressing Dennis, judge Recorder Philip Curran said he believed the defendant had "intended to cause real upset".

He handed Dennis a one-month prison sentence for the harassment charge and further three months for the breach of bail.

The judge also granted an application from the prosecution to implement a 10-year restraining order.