A PRESTONPANS man who twice breached a court order to stay away from his ex-partner has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Darren Watters had been told not to contact or approach the woman by a sheriff in May this year, but just days later he attempted to contact her via one of her friends.

The message stated to tell his ex-partner that “it’s not over, it is only starting” and told the woman’s friend to “delete this text and say you’ve seen me”.

But the woman’s friend decided to take a screenshot of the message and informed the woman what Watters was up to.

Solicitor Ms Cunningham said that her client had committed “a clear breach” of the previous court order and “he now appreciates it was not a clever thing to do”.

Watters was originally charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the town’s Nethershott Road by uttering threats of violence and making offensive remarks by way of social media between March 3 and 10 this year.

He was then granted bail following an appearance at the capital court on March 11 and ordered not to contact the woman or her friend.

But he broke that court order by sending her friend the message on March 16 and then by approaching the women while all three attended a function at the Royal British Legion club on Rope Walk, Prestonpans, on March 26.

Sheriff Kathrine Mackie sentenced Watters on all three matters last Friday and handed the 33-year-old a total of 295 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Watters has also been handed a 12-month non-harassment order which means he cannot approach or contact his ex-partner.