A 33-year-old French man has been sent to prison
after phoning and texting his ex-girlfriend 21,807
times, admitting that, with hindsight, “it was
stupid”. The unnamed defendant, who had made the calls
to demand the woman thank him for fixing up
their flat, was given a 10-month sentence – six
months of which was suspended – and a €1,000
(£793) fine. He will also have to undergo psychiatric treatment
and is barred from all contact with the woman he
harassed, lawyers in the case told AFP. The defendant, who comes from Rhone in
southern France, had already accepted
responsibility for the barrage of phone calls and
text messages over a 10-month period, and had
accepted an earlier demand to cease contact with
his ex. He had been admitted to hospital in the past for
depression, and struggled to cope when his
girlfriend broke off their relationship in 2011. He
demanded compensation for work he had carried
out in their apartment. “At the time, my logic was that until she returns the
money … or at least says thank you, I would not
stop the calls,” he told the court in Lyon. The calls kept coming – averaging more than 73
per day. “She tried to block her line, but he phoned her
parents instead and her workplace,” said Manuella
Spee, lawyer for the victim, a 32-year-old teacher
who was also not named. It was only when she finally thanked him, during a
meeting organised by a mediator, that the
harassment stopped. He has not contacted her
since. “I tell myself, with hindsight, that it was stupid,” he
told the court on Thursday. He said he wanted to return to school to train to be
a legal assistant, and added that he had a “passion
for writing”.

https://www.leapfame.com/topic/622