A FORMER Barrow Raiders player has avoided a jail term for harassing two women.

Personal trainer Michael Lee Peter Botes bombarded one with a barrage of emails declaring his love after they split up.

The South African citizen also harassed his ex-wife with nasty texts and banged on her front door on several occasions.

Botes, of Douglas Street, Walney, admitted harassing Rebecca Crease between June 13 and 24 and Katie Hammond between March 19 and April 12. He had previously denied the offences.

He appeared via videolink from HMP Preston at Preston Crown Court on Thursday.

Mr Peter Kelly, prosecuting, said: "Miss Hammond was in a relationship with the defendant but after an incident in February she moved out. There were a few texts exchanged but it became apparent that she wanted no further contact from him. On March 15 she blocked him from her phone and on social media. Then from March 20 he sent a barrage of emails proffering his love for her. She replied 'you are not in my life anymore. For the tenth time do not contact me again'."

Mr Kelly said he did contact her again asking her about £500 she owed him and telling her that she had put a nice picture on Instagram.

The prosecutor added: "He then told her she had wrecked his dreams and stepped on him. At this point she contacted the police and then he put a post on his Facebook which a friend saw and knew it was relating to the victim.

"When interviewed by police he said he had been trying to sort out their joint tenancy and had sent her flowers to show there were no hard feelings. He was asked that in hindsight, did he harass her? He said that maybe in law but he knew her so well he knew she wouldn't see it like that."

Mr Kelly explained that Botes also harassed his ex-wife Rebecca Crease after an acrimonious split last September.

He harassed her at her home by banging on the door and sent abusive text messages over access to their daughter, aged five.

Mr Kelly added: "He also harassed another woman. He had a relationship with her but she went back to her partner and he went to her home."

Mr Michael Graham, defending, said: "I'm not going to go through every fact and there are some things that are disputed. He is a south African citizen and didn't think in general terms what he was doing was harassment. Since being in prison he has read up on the law and realises now that he had been and so has changed his plea."

Botes was given eight weeks jail for each count to run consecutively, suspended for two years.

He was given restraining orders preventing contact of any form with either woman.

He was also fined £115 and £85 court costs.