Ballymena man made 'despicable' comments to ex-wife
A man has been ordered to do 150 hours Community Service "as a direct alternative to imprisonment" for harassing his ex-wife and making "despicable" comments to her.
Ronald Cooke (50), with an address given as Rosses Farm in Ballymena, pleaded guilty to the offence which happened in August last year.
Ballymena Magistrates Court heard the defendant was told by his ex-partner she was in a "new relationship" and he then used derogatory terms towards her.
On one occasion the defendant turned up at her place of work and was verbally abusive and on another occasion he arrived outside the workplace and was verbally abusive.
A defence lawyer said the background to the case was "his ex-wife informing him that she had entered into a new relationship and a dispute about the recovery of his belongings from the former matrimonial home".
The lawyer said the defendant accepted his actions were "completely inappropriate and would have caused upset, distress and alarm to his ex-wife" and had expressed regret.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said courts "take a very dim view of harassment and this is further aggravated by reason of domestic abuse".
The judge told Cook what he said to his former wife of 17 years and the mother of his children was "wholly despicable".
The judge said the Community Service was a "direct alternative to imprisonment" and a two-year Restraining Order was also put in place.