A scorned man travelled almost 5,000 miles to hide outside his ex-wife's house, leaving her "shaken and terrified".

Ashwin Abreu travelled from Goa in India to Swindon to be closer to his ex-wife after their marriage fell apart earlier this year.

He would message her saying he knew she was home and told her “he would make sure she would be single for the rest of her life and would ruin her wedding day”, Swindon Magistrates Court heard earlier this week.

He pleaded guilty to one count of stalking.

The prosecutor, Keith Ballinger, told the court how Ashwin, of Pavilion Close, and the victim were married since January 2020.

In January 2023, the victim asked for an annulment, where she made it clear that she did not want anything to do with the defendant and did not want him to make contact.

The charge stated that Abreu stalked his ex-partner from January to April.

The 26-year-old repeatedly messaged and sent voice messages to the victim, blaming her for their relationship ending as well as accusing her of sleeping with other people.

He also threatened "the use of weapons", the court heard, although this was disputed by Abreu's solicitor, Gordon Hotson.

On April 7, the victim spotted Abreu walking towards her along Manchester Road. She immediately called the police and attempted to hide.

Mr Ballinger told magistrates: “She was shaken and terrified after he followed her along Manchester Road."

The prosecutor then read the court a statement from the victim: “The situation has been difficult, and I don’t know now where I am in life.

"I am not fully able to understand how I am feeling, I feel there was a possibility that he would hurt me.

“Nobody has ever spoken to me like this before.

“I feel like he is following me and watching me and I am concerned he would hurt my family."

Mr Ballinger continued: “She didn’t know what he was going to do next or when it was going to stop."

Abreu had said in a message sent to her that “he would make sure she would be single for the rest of her life and would ruin her wedding day”.

Defending, Mr Hotson said: "He fully accepts that he dealt very badly with the ending of the relationship.

"He felt very isolated. He has no friends or family in this area and he fully accepted the behaviour towards his ex-partner was completely unacceptable."

Abreu was handed a 12-month community order, including 20 rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work.

A restraining order was also put in place which will prevent Abreu from making any contact with the victim or attending a part of Manchester Road for 18 months.