A STALKER who tormented a woman for years has been banned from large swathes of Oxfordshire for the rest of his life.

Andrew Gallagher breached a restraining order by sending a “disgusting and repulsive” text message, making a phone call and showing up in the victim’s garden at Crowmarsh Gifford, near Wallingford.

Earlier this year, the 53-year-old sparked a manhunt after breaching the requirements of the sex offenders’ register and going on the run for four months. He was eventually found in Banbury.

He was barred from going anywhere within a large area of Oxfordshire bordered by the A34 to the west, M40 to the east and M4 and B482 in the south. The restriction stretches north to the Oxford ring road.

The order, made at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, bans him from Didcot, Wallingford and Abingdon, but not from Oxford – and Gallagher will be arrested if he is spotted in the area. Gallagher, of no fixed abode, left the victim “scared” and suffering post traumatic stress syndrome, the court heard.

He was jailed in 2007 for two years – but released early – for harassing the same victim and a series of other crimes, including possession of a handgun and bullets, chloroform, a dagger and duct tape.

He also has a string of convictions for sex offences dating back to May 1980.

Jennifer Edwards, prosecuting, said: “Mr Gallagher sent the victim a sexually explicit text message and was seen in her back garden.

“She is still receiving counselling for post traumatic disorder.

“She has suffered psychological damage through Mr Gallagher’s behaviour.”

Jane Malcolm, defending, said Gallagher was having family troubles. She said: “His stepfather is very ill and is unlikely to survive.

“My client recognises his actions were entirely wrong. He understands he will go to prison for these crimes, but says he will start a new life away from this area when he is released.”

Gallagher was given three minutes by the judge to have his say and claimed he was telephoning the victim to apologise.

He said: “I just want to say how sorry (I am) for the hurt I have caused. I never meant for any of this to happen.

“I suffer from impotence and couldn’t love in the way she wanted. She asked me why I kept going round and I said it’s because it feels like home. She was very vulnerable when I met her and she begged me to love her.”

Gallagher was sentenced to 12 months in prison for failing to notify the authorities of a change in his home address, and 18 months for breaching his restraining order after an earlier trial. The terms will run consecutively.

Judge Tom Corrie said he believed Gallagher continued to post a significant risk of harassment to the victim, with whom he was still “obsessed”.

He said: “I will not read out the text message you sent because it is truly revolting and distressing.

“It is so disgusting it caused very significant distress to the victim.

“I do not accept you were ringing her to say sorry. I do accept, however, that there is still a very high risk to her of further harassment, or with any other women with whom you have a relationship.”