A MAN who was jailed for harassment after telling a woman he would cut off her hands and put them in jars contacted his victim on Facebook within days of his release.

Ashok Patel appeared before a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court last Monday, where he admitted breaching a restraining order imposed in June last year.

But the defendant, 48, told the court he only breached the order as he was desperate to return to prison after going without food for four days.

Patel, formerly of Bradley Road in Luton but currently of no fixed abode, was sentenced to two years and six months behind bars at Luton Crown Court during the summer of last year after pleading guilty to two charges of supplying class A drugs and two of putting a person in fear of violence.

A judge sitting at the court in 2015 heard Patel had sent 900 malicious and threatening messages to a sex worker and her mother.

The defendant used text messages and false Facebook accounts to make the threats.

He was arrested in October 2014, but sent hundreds of messages in the course of a three-week period when released on bail.

Patel was released from prison on licence late last year, but contacted the victim within days of leaving to warn her: "Free to do as I want again."

Prosecuting at the crown court in Bournemouth, Stuart Ellacott said the woman realised she had three Facebook messages from Patel on November 22 2015.

One read: "You know I'm coming for you", while another read: "I'm coming to make it painful".

Patel had set up a Facebook account using an anagram of his name before sending the messages.

However, the IP address was traced by police and he was arrested.

The defendant, who represented himself at court, said he had no food, spare clothes or place to live following his release from prison.

"I requested to go back to prison - they said there was no process that would take me back," he said.

"I didn't know what else to do to get back to prison. I didn't want to commit another crime."

Apologising for his behaviour, Patel said: "I just don't understand why I did it.

"I'm still trying to come to terms with myself."

Judge Peter Johnson said the defendant had been in a "parlous state emotionally, mentally and financially".

"It is unfortunate that your release was not managed more carefully and unfortunate that the victim was not told you were going to be released," the judge said.

He sentenced Patel to serve the remainder of his original 30-month sentence, as well as a further four months for the breach.

"No matter what your state in the future, you must not reoffend and you must certainly not contact the victim again," Judge Johnson warned.