A STALKER has “destroyed” his ex-girlfriend’s life by continually hounding her after refusing to accept their relationship was over.

Vincent Murphy, 44, of Orchard Street, Newport, turned up at a party during the coronavirus lockdown and shouted at her, “That’s my wife!”

He would also drive up and down the road she lives in almost every day and ask her friends to pass on messages to her.

The defendant was handed a suspended jail sentence in June after being convicted of stalking his former partner.

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But Murphy breached this and his restraining order within weeks, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Jenny Yeo, prosecuting, told how the former couple had been in an on-off relationship for 10 years which came to an end in 2018.

They had remained friends but the complainant wanted to make a clean break and move on.

She said: “The victim was at a party, and she knew she was breaching Covid regulations, when the defendant turned up and shouted at her that she was his wife.

“She said she carried on drinking to blur out what was happening and she felt like she didn’t care.”

The prosecutor added: “The defendant was also driving past her home twice a day most days, in the morning and evening, asking her friends to pass messages on to her.

“He said he missed her and loved her.”

Mrs Yeo read out the woman’s victim impact statement.

She said: “I am constantly on edge. I have lost a number of friends because of his behaviour.

“I feel embarrassed around my friends. I don’t want him around me and I feel scared for my safety.”

His ex-girlfriend added: “I feel completely worn down because of this.

“I honestly feel he has destroyed my life.”

He pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a restraining order between June and July.

Mrs Yeo said Murphy had 17 previous convictions for 31 convictions, including other restraining order breaches and drugs offences.

Peter Donnison, mitigating, asked the court to take into account the defendant’s guilty pleas and that “no threats or violence were used”.

His barrister added: “He needs to recognise this relationship is over. He is looking to leave the area where he is based and move on with his life.”

Judge Nicola Jones told Murphy: “You didn’t offer violence, however you have caused her harm and her mental health has deteriorated.

“You are grinding her down. It’s all very sad.”

The defendant was jailed for 12 months.