A MAN who harassed a woman sexually then defied a court order protecting her has been jailed.

Andrew Philip Abram, 37, was banned for life on August 16 from contacting the woman under a restraining order, said Stephanie Hancock, prosecuting.

York Crown Court heard then how he had posted sexual pictures of the woman on internet forums and websites, suggested to her former boyfriends that they have sex with her while he watched and used her Facebook account to contact her associates.

Ms Hancock said on October 18, Abram sent the woman an email asking for the name of an Indian restaurant.

In a personal statement, the woman said it made her fear the harassment would start again.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris told Abram the August offences were “some of the nastiest offences I have seen.

“When you deliberately emailed her that was the start of you trying to resume contact when she doesn’t want it and there is a court order forbidding you (to do so). You were given a chance and you blew it.”

He activated four months of the suspended prison sentence Abram was given in August with a one-month concurrent sentence for breaching the restraining order.

Abram, of St Andrewgate, central York, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and cried as he was jailed at York Crown Court.

In August, he was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years on conditions after he admitted publishing sexual photographs without permission and harassment.

For Abram, Jemima Stephenson said he couldn’t understand why he had sent the email.

“He simply says he made a mistake here. He was in a very bad place at the time,” she said.

Abram had suffered from depression for a number of years and had recently started new medication.

He was remorseful and the email had been out of character.

She said that he was a manager and head chef of a restaurant and claimed it would be unable to cope with Christmas parties if he was jailed.