A Brighton man who posted messages on Facebook over two weeks in March has been given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
Nick Smith, 47, of Shanklin Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty to harassment when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
Deputy District Judge Kevin Gladwell told Smith that he would go to jail unless he carried out 120 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.
Smith, also known as Nic Moore and Nic Vega, was placed under supervision and ordered to undergo rehabilitation on up to 10 days over 12 months.
He was told to pay a victim surcharge of £80 and legal costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The court was told that Smith “pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of Martin Carr”.
Between Sunday 15 March and Tuesday 31 March he “wrote a number of harassing messages on Facebook”.
The court served a restraining order on Smith, telling him not to contact or communicate with Mr Carr by any means including social media.
And Smith was ordered not to publish or use any threatening or abusive language towards or concerning Mr Carr on any form of social media or by any other means.