Pictured: John Kennedy, who bombarded his ex-partner with 150 messages over 12 days

An 'immature' stalker has been jailed for 16 months after he bombarded his ex-girlfriend with 150 'abusive, possessive and threatening' messages over 12 days.

John Kennedy, from Seaham in County Durham, sent the messages to his former partner from his mother's Facebook account and claimed she was responsible when he was arrested.

The 22-year-old had previously prohibited from contacting his former lover when he admitted a charge of affray at Durham Crown Court on February 11.

Kennedy breached the order when he sent the messages, many 'abusive in nature and name-calling', through his mother's Facebook account, the court heard.  

'Within a short time he breached the order, between February 17 and 29,' Prosecutor Shaun Dryden said. 

'He sent 150 messages, many abusive in nature and name-calling, using his mother's Facebook account. 

'After his arrest he made a prepared statement denying sending them himself, blaming his mother, saying she sent them from her phone.' 

Kennedy admitted breaching the order and a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, imposed for the affray offence.

Martin Scarborough, mitigating, said: 'All his offending relates to his ex-partner, a woman older than him, in her mid-30s.

Kennedy was jailed for 16 months at Durham Crown Court, sitting at Newcastle (pictured) during lockdown

'He's a young, immature 22-year-old, who clearly hasn't coped following the breakdown of the relationship and spent three months in custody prior to the hearing in February.'

'He now accepts he sent those messages, some abusive, but it's the repeated nature of them that is an aggravating feature of the case.

'It was the wrong way of going about things and then the prepared statement was clearly nonsense.'

He was jailed for 16 months at Durham Crown Court, sitting at Newcastle during lockdown.

Judge James Adkin told Kennedy: 'These messages were, abusive, possessive and threatening to hurt your now former partner.

'Initially blaming your mother was an unattractive feature of the case and a sign of immaturity.'

A new ten-year restraining order, including a prohibition from entering any address where his former partner may be present or residing, was also put in place.