A MAN stalked his former girlfriend after she ended their nine month relationship, following her and sending threatening text messages.

Now a judge has blasted Glen Cleft for making the teenager's a life a misery for two years.

Southampton Crown Court heard how victim Emma Rice became distanced from her friends, and domineering Cleft and her family were the only people in her life during their relationship.

Prosecutor Simon Foster described how Cleft, who was 18 when he got together with Miss Rice, then 15, had been "a pernicious influence" over her, telling her what to wear and eat.

He told the court: "He was abusive about what she wore and she began losing weight. He would turn up at her work, wanting to talk to her and would stare at her."

Cleft, he said, demanded to know where was all the time, who she had met and why she had gone to meet them but when she tried to tackle him about it, he told her he had lost his mother who the court was told had been murdered in Spain.

The court heard how he once turned up uninvited to a party she was at, "manipulated" her into getting into his car, slapped her face and spat into it.

When she received a joke Valentine's Day present, he threatened to beat up the person who had sent it.

Mr Foster said of his behaviour: "It was the perpetual pestering of a young girl who quite plainly wanted to be left alone."

Said to have ten previous convictions, Cleft, 22, of Deerijng Close, Lyndhurst, admitted harassment.

Giving him a three-month suspended sentence with a six-month curfew and a 180 hour community work order, Judge Nicholas Rowland told Cleft his conduct had been "abusive and controlling”.

A five-year restraining order is also in place on Cleft, who was warned if he went near Miss Rice he would be sent to prison.

Mitigating, Susan Ridge said the murder of his moth¬er had had a dramatic effect on Cleft who had received no bereavement counselling.