A man who had a restraining order preventing him from contacting his former partner has been given a prison sentence for breaching the order.

Police received a report from the injured party that they had received messages from her former partner over social media between the dates of January 15 to February 8, 2022.

Aaron McDonagh (28), of Kesh Road, Irvinestown, was forbidden from doing so per the terms of the restraining order.

When interviewed by police, McDonagh admitted sending the messages over Facebook.

His barrister, Stephen Fitzpatrick, told the court that since the incident his client's attitude towards the injured party had changed positively as well as towards probation and social services.

He said McDonagh apologised and accepted his previous behaviour and the offence was entirely unacceptable.

Mr. Fitzpatrick said his client accepted the relationship is over and that while he has a level of contact with his children he should have none with the injured party.

He asked the court, that in sentencing, to leave something hanging over McDonagh's head.

District Judge Steven Keown pointed out that McDonagh had been convicted on December 6, 2021, for assaulting the injured party and was given a three-month sentence suspended for 18 months and within five or six weeks he had breached the restraining order and suspended sentence.

He added that on foot of the breach he took the charge to contest and was convicted on the papers.

Judge Keown said if a suspended sentence is to mean something one could not see a case more deserving of it.

For breaching the restraining order Judge Keown activated the suspended sentence and also handed down a four-month consecutive sentence, giving McDonagh a total of a seven-month prison sentence.

McDonagh was released pending appeal.