A MAN visited the home of his former partner on the same day that he was issued with a restraining order banning him from seeing her.

Jason Alexander Barnett, 40, formerly of Glyde Path Road in Dorchester, admitted two charges of breaching the order that banned him from having contact with Kerry Lavelle, and a further offence of breaching a conditional discharge, at Dorchester Crown Court.

Recorder Anne Arnold sentenced him to a total of 36 weeks in prison, minus the 30 days he had already served on remand.

She said he would serve eight weeks for breaching the conditional discharge, 12 weeks for the first breach of the restraining order and 16 weeks for the second breach of the order to be served consecutively.

Prosecutor Clifford Grier said Barnett had been issued with the restraining order, along with a conditional discharge of 18 months, by West Dorset magistrates on September 4.

He said the first breach occurred on the same day Barnett was sentenced, when he repeatedly called Miss Lavelle on her mobile and landline, then at 3.45pm he turned up at her home in London Close.

In a statement Miss Lavelle said she had left the front door unlocked for her son who was playing outside, and found Barnett standing in her hallway saying he wanted to apologise.

She said she offered him a packet of crisps and then pressed the domestic violence panic alarm fitted in her kitchen cupboard.

The police arrived within minutes and Barnett was arrested.

The second breach occurred on September 26, when Barnett sent Miss Lavelle a four-page letter while in custody, the court heard.

The court heard that Barnett had been in a relationship with Miss Lavelle since November 2006 but it deteriorated and on August 24 he was convicted of three charges of assault against her and sentenced to 40 days in prison, but released immediately due to time spent on remand.

Tim Shorter, in mitigation, said the letter had been four pages along the vein of 'I love you' and had been in response to cards sent to him by Miss Lavelle.

He said Barnett now realised that any breach of a court order was a serious matter and still counted whether other people made contact or not.