A man harassed a woman he met on a social app by calling her 'day and night', showing up at her home and sending her gifts, a court heard.

Martin Pennels, 52, appeared in Weymouth Magistrates Court having pleaded guilty to harassment without violence of a woman in north Dorset from December 3, 2023, to January 12, 2024.

Christina Norgan, prosecuting, said the victim and Pennells met on the Facebook Dating app. 

From the start, the victim told Pennells that she was only looking for friendship, and the court heard that they only met up once.

However, Pennells' behaviour quickly escalated.

Upon obtaining her phone number, he would call the victim 'all day and all night', saying he loved her and he wanted to be with her.

She told him this was excessive, but it did not stop. 

The victim also received numerous long voicemails from Pennells, both loving tirades and others that were total silence.

He also sent numerous messages, including pictures of his genitals.

The victim says she blocked him many times, but each time he would use other means to reach her, even calling using a withheld number.

He also brought up her personal information - including her home address - that she had intentionally kept from him.

Pennells, of Mappowder, sent her pictures of cars parked on the street outside of her home, accusing her of cheating.

The victim says she was scared by this, and felt she needed to reply or he would appear at her home just as he threatened. At Christmas, he turned up at her home with presents. 

When Pennells shared with the victim that he was on the sex offender register the victim confided in a friend, and police were contacted, magistrates were told.

Ms Norgan added: "Pennells has an alarming history of similar harassment."

This includes being jailed for voyeurism in 2018.

Lee Christmas, mitigating, said: "His behaviour is driven by a desire for a relationship. He accepts there is a line that he crossed and his behaviour becomes oppressive."

Mr Christmas added there has been a 'realisation' on Pennells' part about his behaviour and he is now in a stable relationship.

The chair of the magistrates' bench Stephen Takel, gave Pennells a community order of 24 months, with a requirement to complete 30 days of a rehabilitation programme and 90 hours of unpaid work.

He is also not to contact the victim, and must not enter an address in Sturminster Newton for five years.