A York man who went on a foreign holiday with a woman from the city has been given a suspended prison sentence for going near her.

Liam Paul Calpin, 32, went to the woman’s house twice in August, said Brooke Morrison, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

On the first occasion, he threatened to break in and told her to send out the man with her so that he could attack him.

On each occasion, he was breaking a restraining order imposed by a court to stop him contacting her. He has several previous convictions for breaking restraining orders.

At an earlier hearing, York Crown Court heard the woman had told police she was scared of Calpin and denied going on holiday with him.

But Calpin’s defence team had said the two had gone on a foreign holiday together in July while the restraining order was in place.

When the case returned to court, Ms Morrison said police checks had confirmed the couple had travelled together on both the outward and return flights.

Graham Parkin, defending, said the woman was continuing to contact Calpin in prison where he was on remand in October despite being told by police not to. He showed the court emails which he said showed that the woman wanted to go on holiday again with Calpin, this time in November, and that the relationship was ongoing.

Judge Simon Hickey told Calpin: “Undoubtedly she is saying one thing and doing another. That has occurred on a number of occasions. I think you are both responsible for the contact. I have to protect her from herself.”

Ms Morrison had told him domestic abuse cases can involve an element of control by one partner towards the other.

Calpin, of Tuke Avenue, Tang Hall, admitted breaching the restraining order twice by going to the woman’s home in August. He was not charged in connection with the July foreign holiday.

Calpin was given a five-month prison sentence, suspended it for two years on condition he does a 33-day course on how to conduct domestic relationships and 20 days’ rehabilitative activities.

Courts impose restraining orders to protect people when they have been the victim of a crime at the hands of their partner.

Mr Parkin said Calpin’s grandmother had died while he had been held on remand for eight weeks since August and he wanted to attend her funeral next week.

Ms Morrison said Calpin first went to the woman’s home on August 7.  He went again on August 10 and shouted at her asking what she had been telling the police.