A Dunedin man who psychologically abused his partner for weeks and bombarded her with graphic sexual photos has been jailed for a year.
Kayden Michael Smith (25) appeared before the Dunedin District Court this week after pleading guilty to five breaches of a protection order.
The order had been granted in favour of his former partner in April last year.
Less than six months later, however, Smith contravened that order when he turned up at the woman's house unannounced.
They argued for five minutes as the defendant repeatedly refused requests for him to leave.
Ten minutes later, Smith sneaked into the woman's bedroom after she had gone outside; and half an hour after that, he parked at the front of the address.
He was arrested and told police he felt like he had nowhere else to go.
Despite the run in, Smith targeted his ex-girlfriend again two weeks later.
After giving the victim some money he owed her, the defendant went to her house and asked to come in.
They argued again and police were called.
Smith's psychological abuse took a different tack in the ensuing days.
First he sent her a message on app Snapchat advising the woman her keys were in the letter box, while he waited in his car outside.
Then between October 25 and November 5 things took a lewd turn.
Smith added his former partner as a friend on Snapchat and within hours had showered her with a series of pictures "of a graphic sexual nature".
When the approach was rebuffed, the defendant pretended to be someone else, court documents revealed.
Later, Smith sent the victim a photo of him holding her son.
There were also numerous phone calls, many of which went unanswered.
When the woman did pick up, Smith asked her if she was calling police.
"The victim replied `Yes' and hung up," a police summary said.
Defence counsel Andrew Dawson characterised his client's conducted as "a spree" which coincided with the breakdown of the pair's relationship.
Smith had thought he was the father of the woman's children but genetic testing proved that was not so, he said.
Judge Dominic Flatley said psychological abuse could often be as destructive as physical abuse but noted an "insightful" letter the defendant had written for the court.
Smith was jailed for a year.
Mr Dawson said he would move to Nelson to live with his parents once his jail term was completed, as "there is nothing tying him here".
