A WORKINGTON woman’s disgruntled former boyfriend who was jailed for stalking her after they split has been freed - for the sake of his family. 

Ryan Dobie’s behaviour towards his ex-partner earned him a nine-week jail sentence after he admitted stalking. But after he lodged an appeal against that sentence at Carlisle Crown Court, Dobie was freed, though the judge in the case aimed stinging criticism at him over his treatment of his ex.

Daniel Bramhall, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the defendant was jailed by magistrates in Workington on May 10 and told to pay his victim £200 compensation.

Dobie and his former girlfriend ended their relationship in March and the fifth day of that month she went on holiday. During March, he sent the woman more than 1,200 emails, many of them containing insults.

She was getting so many emails from Dobie that on March 10 while she was on holiday she deleted her email account from her phone, said Mr Bramhall.

When she returned from her holiday to the UK, she reinstalled her email account and found that she had received more than 200 emails and 35 voicemail messages from Dobie. The defendant continued to send messages, with more than 60 arriving on one day.

She replied, telling him the relationship was over and he should stop sending her the messages but still they continued, said Mr Bramhall. The prosecutor also outlined occasions when Dobie appeared to be shadowing her.

On one occasion, as she was picking up a friend in her car, his car appeared behind her. “She performed a turn in the road because he was behind her and he then turned his car around,” said Mr Bramhall.

In one of his messages, the words “desperate, needy and pathetic” appeared, prompting Judge David Swinnerton, sitting with a magistrate, to tell the defendant: “You were describing pretty accurately yourself and your behaviour.”

Brendan Burke, for Dobie, said the defendant – who was prosecuted for harassing another former partner in 2017 – had taken responsibility and signed up for therapy.

Earning £60,000 a year as a senior manager with a civil engineering firm, Dobie supported his family -  including two children – financially and practically, said Mr Burke. If he stayed in jail for three more weeks, he would lose that job and his ability to financially support his children.

Judge Swinnerton said it was difficult to believe that Dobie had such a responsible job, given that his behaviour towards his ex-partner was “anything but responsible.”

“You behaviour ending relationships is deeply troubling,” said the judge. “Not just this time but also last time, in 2017.” Dobie had behaved extremely badly, said the judge.

The victim had suffered distress and had to change her life as a result of his stalking. “You thoroughly deserve an immediate prison sentence,” said the judge.

While magistrates had done nothing wrong in jailing him, the situation had changed in that he would lose his job if he served out the current jail sentence.

If that happened, it would impact on his children. The judge said Dobie will now be subject to a nine-week jail term suspended for a year. Dobie, now living at Wellfield Road, Liverpool, must serve a two-month 8.30pm to 7am curfew, which will be electronically monitored.

He must also complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and observe a restraining order which bans him from contacting his former girlfriend and her new partner. Nor can he go to Seaton in Workington, or the streets where the victim and her partner live.