A LOVESICK engineer was so besotted with a single mother that he "made her life a misery" by bombarding her with text messages, letters and unwanted gifts, a court heard.

Formerly respectable Peter Monkhouse, 55, became infatuated with family friend Charlotte Morgan after her husband left her and their two children three years ago, Blandford magistrates were told. He pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment.

Prosecutor Julian Baugh said Mrs Morgan rented a cottage owned by the defendant and his wife at their home in Silton, Gillingham.

Mrs Morgan became increasingly worried at Monkhouse's attentions and moved away "simply to stop him harassing her", Mr Baugh said.

Letters, presents, phone calls continued.

"He was obviously infatuated but she spurned his advances and she complained to the police," he said.

Officially cautioned on July 14, Monkhouse had gone straight home from the police station and written to her, accusing her of trying to wreck things for him. He had texted her a poem the next day expressing his love and arrived at her house on August 5 with presents for her children and lilies for her, Mr Baugh said.

"He said he couldn't stop contacting her because he loved her," the prosecutor said. Monkhouse was making her life a misery, he added.

Defending, Simon Lacey said his client lived with his wife and four children aged from eight to 16.

The two couples had been friends for about ten years before the Morgans moved into the cottage.

Monkhouse and his wife led separate lives - partly because of how he felt for Mrs Morgan.

"He knew she wanted some space after her marriages - he thought she would come round to his way of thinking," Mr Lacey said.

Imposing a restraining order for 12 months, the presiding magistrate forbade him to go near Mrs Morgan's East Orchard home or to contact her or her children letter, text, email or in person.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

First published: August 12