A man, who bombarded a woman with messages and promised to buy her clothes and trainers, threatened to murder her after she rejected his advances.

Paul Kay, 29, knew the victim for around a year before the harassment began in Bury in May this year, prosecutor Alexander Bennie told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

They were introduced to each other by a neighbour and were just friends when they met.

But in May, they started to speak to each other more frequently and the woman said Kay would “chat her up” and requested her phone number, however she refused to give it to him.

The court was told that she then found that he had posted paper through the letter box with his phone number, on, but she put the note in the bin.

On June 18, she received a text from Kay and asked him how he got her number, and he said he received it from a friend.

The court was told he started to message her regularly and would send her pictures of trainers, saying he would buy them for her.

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He would also send her YouTube links of love songs, and she said this was “strange behaviour and felt uneasy”, and she told him she did not want him to contact her.

Kay continued to send her lengthy texts as well as pictures of clothes and trainers and they would have occasional passing social contact.

On June 21, he asked her to go to his house for drinks and gave her a bag with clothes and trainers in that he had bought her.

The court was told that Kay told her that he had kidnapped people in the past and had previous convictions.

She made it clear that she did not want a relationship with him, however accepted the clothing as she was nervous about refusing them.

On June 29, she again said she wanted no relationship with him.

From June 29 to July 3, Kay sent her more than 40 texts and around 250 voice messages, with one saying that he would damage the windows of her mother’s house and that he would come to the property with a hammer.

The victim contacted the police about Kay’s behaviour and said she did not feel safe. Even when she blocked his number he continued to message her on a private number.

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On July 3, he called her and made threats to "murder" her and her ex-partner. He was arrested that evening.

During an interview, he denied the offence and said they were in a consensual relationship.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “I knew he was always weird, and something wasn’t right with him.

“Both me and my mum are terrified he might turn up and do something.”

Kay, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking involving fear of violence.

William Staunton, defending, said that Kay intends to have no further contact with her.

He now has a partner and is currently on medication for ADHD which has improved his symptoms massively.

When he is released, he wants to lead a normal life and has improved himself after having time to think about his behaviour.

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Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones said: “It was behaviour which caused her considerable distress.

“You persisted and you sent over 40 messages, and she only responded asking you to leave her alone.

“Your conduct towards her was deliberate and deeply troubling.”

Kay was sentenced to 53 weeks, with half to be served in custody and the reminder to be served on licence.

He will also be under 12 months post sentence supervision.

A restraining order was granted for him not to contact the victim for five years.