A JILTED boyfriend who stalked his nurse ex during the Covid crisis now has a suspended prison sentence hanging over his head.

Daniel Gurney of Liverpool Road, Ronkswood, Worcester, was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Friday. He admitted stalking, assault and three breaches of a non-molestation order (NMO) after the nurse decided to end the relationship with the 37-year-old father-of-two after 17 years.

Amanda O’Mara, prosecuting, said: “She described the defendant as being possessive and controlling despite her trying to leave several times.”

His ex also said he had developed a gambling habit. After the relationship ended he turned up at her home uninvited, called and texted her and asked if she was seeing anyone. The stalking lasted between March 1 and June 7 this year. “She struggled to cope with how obsessive he was,” said Miss O’Mara. He turned up at her son’s football match in March, parked next to her, opened his window and said he wanted to speak to her or he would ‘cause a scene’. “She described him as hounding her with lots of questions about her personal life” said Miss O’Mara.

She added: “He would turn up at her home address begging and crying for her to have him back, threatening to self-harm. She refused.”

His ex told him she was in a new relationship in the hope he would move on. Between April 4 and 5 she received 175 text messages and 45 missed calls and he followed her when she went to the police station.

The assault happened after Gurney arrived at her house on June 6, let himself in and found her in the garden with her new boyfriend. “He was shouting ‘get him out of here now! I want to smash his face in!’”

He pushed his head into hers. The first breach of the NMO happened on April 30 when she was driving to work from Kempsey towards the Ketch roundabout and she saw the defendant in a layby. He pulled out and pulled alongside her on the dual carriageway, ‘flailing his arms around as if asking her to pull over’. Further breaches followed. Gurney was given a 20 month prison sentence suspended for two years, a five year restraining order and was ordered not to go to Kempsey for 12 months. He must also complete 60 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 30 sessions of a building better relationships programme and 80 hours unpaid work.