A man has been banned from contacting his former girlfriend for five years after he tried to strangle her.

A court heard yesterday how David Herlihy also sent the woman text messages after their relationship ended, visited her at home and, on one ocassion in a Colchester pub, threw drink over her.

Herlihy, 44, admitted a harassment charge when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court and was jailed for 11 months.

He was released immediately as he has already served the equivalent of a 12-month sentence on remand in prison.

But he was put under a restraining order, banning him from contacting his former partner, Chantelle Keston, in any way.

Judge Rodger Hayward Smith QC told Herlihy: "Your behaviour towards this woman was appalling, and the one thing I want to make sure is that she is left in peace from now on and there is no contact whatsoever."

The judge added: "If there is any future contact, you can expect a lot more trouble from the courts."

Carolyn Gardiner, prosecuting, said the relationship between Miss Keston and Herlihy ended early last year and she moved to an address near the garrison, in Colchester.

Herlihy, of Friday Wood Green, Colchester, continued to contact her and asked if she was seeing anyone else.

On one ocassion, he saw her in the Purple Dog pub and poured a drink over her when she told him she had been out with someone.

Herlihy also went to her home and tried to strangle Miss Keston, and the court heard she told police later she was terrified and thought she was going to be killed.

On another occasion, he went to her home and managed to get inside, where he told her he wanted her back and refused to leave, Miss Gardiner said.

Richard Potts, mitigating, said Herlihy had been in custody for 187 days - the equivalent of a sentence of about a year.

Herlihy was not a danger and he would abide by the conditions of the restraining order, Mr Potts said.