A 51-year-old Ramsey man has been handed a suspended sentence after he breached a restraining order.

Cathal Anthony Hughes had denied the offence but was convicted after a summary court trial.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also ordered him to pay £800 prosecution costs.

Ms Braidwood said that she had heard the facts at the trial and the offence, on July 18 last year, had involved Hughes contacting his ex-partner via messages, despite being prohibited to do so by the restraining order.

Hughes had maintained that the messages were not intended for the woman, but for her mother.

At his sentencing his defence advocate James Peterson said that the messages had been born out of frustration on the defendant’s part, relating to child contact.

Mr Peterson said that the breach had come close to the start of the order, and that work with probation had perhaps not begun to fully benefit Hughes at that time.

The advocate said that there had been no further breaches and that his client was engaging with probation.

‘It’s fair to say he needs some assistance in terms of managing his emotions,’ said Mr Peterson.

Ms Braidwood said that it was an aggravating factor that the defendant had been sentenced in May 2024 for domestic abuse and had breached the order by July.

However, she said that she had taken into account that there had been no threats of violence and no repetition of messaging since the offence.

Hughes, who lives at Balleigh Park, was sentenced to three months’ custody, suspended for two years, and also put under supervision for two years.

His previous probation order, which was imposed in May, was revoked and will start again, running concurrently with his suspended sentence.

He will pay the prosecution costs at a rate of £20 per week, deducted from benefits.