Spurned married man from Preston harassed lover from 61 different phone SIM cards

Iqbal Patel, 53, of Plover Street, Deepdale, Preston, appeared before Preston Magistrates’ Court where he admitted harassing a woman between February 26 and March 27.

The court heard he sent more than 135 messages, made numerous calls, and one phone had been used 30 times in an attempt to contact her.

He was given a restraining order, with 50 hours unpaid work.

Prosecuting Phillippa White said: “The aggrieved in this particular case informed the police she had been in a relationship with the defendant for about nine years.

“He was already married, which she was aware of, though the relationship was maintained.

“She explains over time in her opinion the relationship became controlling and abusive.

“She describes she made various attempts to end the relationship, and that towards the end of 2016 she was receiving so much unwanted attention from the defendant that she reported him to the police.

“As a result in January the defendant received a harassment warning. Unfortunately that warning appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

“They were not threatening in nature but clearly excessive in number.”

On March 15 the woman attended at the police station expressing further concerns.

During an appointment with the officer she was able to show 83 voicemail messages and went on to explain there were numerous text messages coming from different numbers.

She said Patel threatened to send intimate photographs of her to her family members and that the volume of calls and messages was getting out of control.

In interview the defendant had various phones and SIMS seized from him.

Asked whether he felt it was normal to make that many calls he didn’t answer - he said he didn’t know police were involved, despite his previous warning.

He was ordered to pay a £85 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.