A MAN who disobeyed a court order barring him from approaching his ex-partner has been jailed.

Francis Mason repeatedly went to the woman’s home in a Dalmuir tower block between Christmas Day last year and January 2 and shouted and posted letters through her front door.

The 41-year-old was released on bail after appearing in court on a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour on January 3.

But he went on to breach a condition of bail which barred him from approaching his ex, or from going to the floor of the Ellinger Court block where she lives, by going to the property on two separate occasions on February 9, posting another letter through the front door and contacting her.

And at a court hearing last Friday it emerged that Mason had also assaulted the woman when they met on a separate occasion on August 9.

And though Mason’s lawyer argued that the assault happened “under provocation”, and said his client had also been assaulted during the same incident, that wasn’t enough to stop a sheriff sending Mason to prison.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on Friday that when the incidents happened Mason was living on the floor below his ex in Ellinger Court.

The court was told Mason, who was described in court papers as currently living at Linden Street in Anniesland, had been handed a community payback order (CPO) as punishment for the initial incidents - but that he had been in custody since August 13, when he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge on the assault matter.

Sheriff John Hamilton asked: “So, having been on a CPO for stalking behaviour towards his former partner, he has, in August, assaulted her?”

Mason’s solicitor said: “She approached him and assaulted him. He was spoken to by the police as a complainer, but police then viewed CCTV of what happened and could see there had been an assault.

“He was given 110 days in custody, backdated to August 13.

“My suggestion is that the CPO be allowed to continue after his release on the basis that, until that disastrous day on August 9, he had been doing well on the order.”

“They lived on adjacent floors of the block, but a West Dunbartonshire Council official has been to see him in prison to say he was to be given a new tenancy away from Ellinger Court.

“To effect that, I’m told, he has to have his liberty.”

Sheriff Hamilton also asked why Mason had failed to tell his CPO supervisor that he had assaulted the woman.

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Mason’s solicitor said: “He can give no explanation.

“He saw himself as a complainer, but clearly he did go on and assault her.”

Sheriff Hamilton told Mason: “This is not acceptable. You’re in custody for assaulting the person you were told not to approach, and you failed to mention to your supervising officer that you had been involved in a further incident.”

Mason’s CPO was revoked and he was ordered to serve a total of six months in prison on top of his current jail sentence.