A MAN who harassed his former partner and threatened to show her parents a sex tape he had made of her has been given a jail sentence.

Saleem Hussain, 28, of Malton, was sentenced at Scarborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard that between April and July this year, Mr Hussain, who works on Skeldergate in York, persistently contacted the woman with "unwanted and unwarranted" calls and texts, and approached her near her work and at bus stops.

In October, while still on bail from that offence, the court heard that he again started contacting her, including approaching her on the Coastliner bus.

The court also heard that Mr Hussain had a video of the couple having sex, which was filmed without her permission and which dated back to April, and that he had threatened to show this to her parents. It was found on an SD card when police searched his home.

Mr Hussain had pleaded guilty to both charges of harassment without violence, and one of voyeurism.

James McGowan, for Hussain, said that Mr Hussain doesn't want any more contact with the victim, and has difficulty understanding what happened between them. "He is 28 years of age, these are his first offences," he said. "This was his second long-term relationship and he couldn't accept when it was over." He added that the tape was "an attempt to spice up their love life during a difficult period. He had deleted it from the camera but not the SD card.

"We ask the court to step away from a custodial sentence - he wants to move on with his life."

But presiding magistrate Delia Liddle, delivering the sentence, said they had felt no choice but to pass a custodial sentence, adding that the credit they were giving him for his guilty plea was to refrain from referring the case to the crown court.

She told Mr Hussain, who was appearing on video link from Hull prison: "This is at the top end of our sentencing powers. We believe this was so serious as it was a breach of trust. You showed no remorse and you have no insight into the effect on your victim.

"You were cynical, malicious and spiteful."

Mr Hussain was given a 26-week prison sentence in total which included the voyeurism charge, and 12 concurrent weeks for each of the harassment charges.

There was also a surcharge of £150 and a five-year restraining order which prevents him from contacting the victim in any way, including a ban from the Rougier Street area of York and the Coastliner bus.