Oamaru District Court

AN Oamaru man appearing before a judge on a charge of contravening a protection order for the 17th time since 2010 has been sentenced to jail.

John Andrew Hayes (35), of Hakataramea, was sentenced to six months’ jail by Judge Kevin Phillips in the Oamaru District Court last week, having earlier pleaded guilty.

A police summary of facts said he had been in a relationship with a woman for seven years. They had had two children together before the relationship ended in 2010.

A final protection order was placed on Hayes the same year by the complainant and he was granted visitation rights to see his children.

Hayes arrived at an Invercargill address on October 27, 2018, to spend time with his children, a visit that had been arranged by his former partner.

He left on November 5, leaving the children in the care of the victim’s father.

While no further visits were planned, Hayes breached the protection order placed on him when he sent 22 text messages to the victim between 6.40pm on November 5 and 7.50am on November 6.

He also called her nine times between 7.52am and 8.10am on November 6.

The victim did not respond and instead went to the Invercargill police station about 15 minutes after the final call and told police that she wanted the contact stopped.

Hayes, who stood in the dock dressed in a black suit, white shirt and tie, admitted sending the messages and making the phone calls, but claimed he did not realise electronic contact breached the order.

Judge Phillips said the actions of Hayes had caused the victim ‘‘serious psychological harm’’ and had left her ‘‘mentally exhausted’’.

It was the 17th time Hayes had appeared on the same charge, which Judge Phillips said showed he had clearly not learned from his previous communitybased sentences.

There was an audible gasp through tears from one of the two people in the public gallery supporting Hayes, who glanced at them and offered words of reassurance before being led from the court by police.