MAGISTRATES have jailed a 45-year-old Carlisle man after he admitted flouting a court order, causing distress to his victim.

James Felton Queen, formerly of John Street, committed the offence on Tuesday, March 2 by going to a property in Raffles Avenue, Raffles, Carlisle, the city's Rickergate court heard.

This was in spite of an existing court order which bars him from going within 100 metres of the house involved.

The same order - made under the Protection from Harassment Act - also forbids the defendant from having any contact with a named woman.

Queen pleaded guilty to the breach.

The court record spells out why magistrates believed the offence merited prison.

It states: "The offence was so serious because it was aggravated by the defendant's record of previous offending; because it was committed while on post-sentence supervision; and it was a deliberate breach, causing distress to the victim."

The document adds that the offence had come a week after an earlier breach of the same order and that the defendant has a history of breaching such court orders.

Queen was jailed for 80 days.

In addition to the jail term, the defendant, who was represented by defence lawyer John Smith, must pay a victim surcharge of £128. His guilty plea was taken into account.