A ‘relentless’ ex sent his former girlfriend small sums to her online bank account and left flowers on her doorstep – in breach of a restraining order.

That court order, imposed after he was convicted in 2017 of assaulting her, banned Alexander Colson from contacting the woman.

But in January last year the 37-year-old ignored the restraining order, sending five separate small sums to her online bank account. Four of the sums – each under £5 – had the reference ‘Child Maintenance’, while the fifth was accompanied with the message ‘I love you’.

A day after he sent the money, his former partner opened her front door to find a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep.

Despite being arrested by the police then later released under investigation, he continued to breach the restraining order.

Later that month he sent a text to the woman’s friend telling her ‘to ask Queen Vic if she wants to meet please’. He sent his ex a friend request on social media site Instagram.

Again he was arrested by the police and, again, released under investigation. In the meantime, he received a suspended sentence at the crown court for KO’ing a man with a single punch.

Ten months later, on November 1, he was seen loitering outside his son’s school in Banbury but moved away when he saw his ex. He was back the next day and followed the mum-and-son, trying to speak to the boy.

On December 28, he sent his former partner another friend request on Instagram. He was arrested for a third and final time in January this year.

In her statement, read to the court by prosecutor Christopher Pembridge, the woman said: “I have spent years going through counselling trying to get him out of my head but he’s just relentless.”

Mitigating, Gordana Austin said her client had been in a relationship with the victim for 12 years and had two children together.

She said he had not been allowed to see the children for the past two years. “Rather than someone who is pursuing his ex-partner for any jealous reasons or controlling behaviour, in this case this defendant is a man who simply desperately wants to see his children.”

Alexander Colsons mug shot Picture: TVP

Alexander Colson's mug shot Picture: TVP

Colson, Hardwick Park, Banbury, pleaded guilty at the first hearing to 10 breaches of his restraining order. He has four previous convictions for 12 offences.

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Recorder John Bate-Williams described Colson’s behaviour as a ‘despicable and relentless campaign’ against his ex-partner.

He noted that the pre-sentence report compiled by the probation service found that Colson showed little remorse. Summarising the report, the judge said: “You’ve gone through the motions but you don’t seem to have any interest in really tackling your harassment.”

Colson received 16 months for the breaches of the restraining order and another 14 months after the judge activated the earlier suspended prison sentence in full.

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