A Bolton man who made contact with a woman he was ordered to stay away from has been told he is in a “precarious and difficult position".

Richard Shawcross was spared jail earlier this year for threatening to share intimate messages of a woman he had been in a relationship with.

The actions took place after he had crashed a car belonging to her, but as the insurance was in her name she received the £1,000 payout.

The 49-year-old threatened to send her family and friends intimate pictures of her if he was not given this.

The woman had to tell those she knew not to open any attachments of anything sent by Shawcross.

At Bolton Crown Court earlier this year he was given a sentence of 10 months imprisonment suspended or 18 months.

Shawcross was ordered to take part in the Building Better Relationships, do 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

As well as this, he was ordered not to contact his former partner for five years.

But Shawcross refused to obey this instruction.

At Manchester and Salford Magistrates last month he admitted contacting the woman in April and May this year, in breach of the restraining order.

He also admitted stalking her over a period of a month and a half by sending text messages.

Shawcross, from Hough Lane, Bromley Cross, appeared in court to be sentenced for the new offences this week.

However he appeared in the dock without representation from counsel.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, asked why he did not have this.

Shawcross said he had not been realised he was due in court

The judge said: “You have been committed for sentence, you are also before the court for a breach of a suspended sentence order made on the last occasion.

“You are in a precarious and difficult position.”

He adjourned the case and told Shawcross to obtain representation for sentence next month.