Michelle Felton bombarded her ex with over 1,000 messages after he dumped her (Picture: Cavendish Press)
An optician’s assistant who almost drove her ex-boyfriend to suicide has been given a restraining order banning her from contacting him for 18 months.
Michelle Felton, 28, became so infatuated with Ryan Harley after he ended their relationship she rang or messaged him up to 150 times a day.
In her torrent of 1,000 texts, Felton would ask him: ‘Why won’t you speak to me? Ich liebe dich. Are we meeting tonight?’ Are we going out?’
Mr Harley was forced to call the police after she started leaving gifts on his doorstep at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
He accused Felton of controlling him during their 21-month fling, and told officers: ‘I just want it to go away and for it all to stop. I just feel like ending it all.’
At Warrington magistrates court this week, Felton, who worked at Specsavers, admitted harassment after her not guilty plea to coercive behavior was accepted by prosecutors.
She was banned from contacting Mr Harley for a year and a half and given an 18-month community order, requiring she does 30 days of rehab.
Felton was also fined £50 and ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge of £395.
Felton was banned from contacting her ex for 18 months (Picture: Cavendish Press)
Prosecutor Arron Smith said: ‘Mr Harley informed Miss Felton that he wished to end the relationship. He said that it had been toxic in his view. She did not agree with that and it led to the harassment offence.
‘Between the dates of February 15 and February 26 there was a constant barrage of messages. There were 100s of messages each day, missed calls and texts sent without reply.
‘The police officer records the messages on his body-worn camera, which was a constant scrolling exercise of message after message after message.
‘As he was scrolling through them more texts and calls were coming through as the officer was recording it.
‘They are not threatening messages or abusive messages, but it’s the constant nature of them.
‘She stated that she loves Mr Harley, that she was hurt that the relationship was over, and did not want to continue living.
‘She sent photos of her and said that he belongs to her. Hey doesn’t reply.
‘Miss Felton also attended his address when uninvited at times. She is informed several times that he does not want her to contact him and doesn’t want to resume the relationship but she does not adhere to his request.
Felton admitted harassment at Warrington magistrates court (Picture: Cavendish Press)
‘He says it was causing him great discomfort. He does not want to have any more contact and wants to rebuild his life. The messages caused him great harm and distress.’
Felton, who is now dating someone else, had no previous convictions and was of good character.
In mitigation, defense lawyer Peter Barnett claimed Mr Harley only pursued the charge against Felton to avoid being prosecuted for grievous bodily harm after allegedly breaking his finger.
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Barnett said the couple argued extensively after spending a night together, which resulted in Mr Harley allegedly twisting his little finger until it broke, and Felton allegedly kicking him in the groin.
Magistrate Alan Eyres Felton: ‘It’s a sad story but nevertheless told you are here.
‘We have taken into account your late guilty plea and that you have no previous convictions. We don’t want to see you again.’
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