A LOCAL dad who repeatedly turned up at his ex-girlfriend’s home, causing her to flee with their young child, has been jailed.

The 33-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was unwilling to accept that the relationship with his ex was over and started turning up at her home and bombarding her with messages.

He also let himself into the property on one occasion while the woman was out.

On her return home, he behaved aggressively towards her, which resulted in her fleeing in tears with their child.

The man appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff court last week from custody and pled guilty to one charge under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act.

He also admitted to a breach of a bail condition. while a plea of not guilty to a third charge was accepted.

Procurator Fiscal Katie McCall told the court that the couple, who have an infant child together, had broken up about a week before the incident where he let himself into the woman’s home.

At the end of the relationship, around June 16, the woman had taken the house keys she had given to her ex-boyfriend and locked them in her kitchen cupboard.

From that point, he began to repeatedly attend at her home uninvited and phoned and sent her messages against her wishes.

The woman woke up early on the morning of June 23 to find he ex-partner in her rear garden.

She spoke to him about the end of their relationship and he refused to accept it was over, despite the woman repeatedly telling him that she did not wish it to continue.

That evening, the woman was out and returned home to find the accused inside her home.

Ms McCall told the court: “This caused her fear and alarm as she was upset at how he had got in.”

The man admitted to his ex-partner that he had used the spare keys which he had previously given back to her. The woman checked the cupboard and the keys were no longer there. She asked her ex for her keys back, but he started shouting at her.

He then refused to leave, and this resulted in her fleeing the home with their child.

The woman contacted police while outside in the street. When officers arrived, they found her “visibly shaking and crying inconsolably”.

Police took the woman and her infant back to the house and they observed the accused leave via the back door.

Officers attempted to chase him, however he made his escape. They attended his home address, but he was not there either.

The following morning, the woman and her child were in their home when her ex-partner turned up and tried to gain entry to the property.

She dialled 999 and police attended immediately.

They found the man within the vicinity and informed him that he was under arrest.

The dad was sentenced to seven months imprisonment on appearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week.

He was also placed on a Non-Harassment Order for three years, prohibiting him from being within 50 metres of his ex and preventing him from contacting her except via a third party.