AN ARMY veteran who carried out a prolonged campaign of harassment against her ex-partner has been jailed.

Lee Baker, who has recently transitioned and identifies as a woman, split from Kathryn Smyth in 2016 but went on to pester her on social media.

The 6ft 2ins tall ex-solder, who now goes by the name Tiffany Aching, was made the subject of a restraining order after the relationship broke down.

However, she repeatedly contacted Smyth online.

Poole Magistrates' Court heard Aching was desperate to get back at the victim by stalking her on Instagram for more than a year.

Aching, who shares the same name as a character in one of author Terry Pratchett's fantasy novels, posted suggestive remarks towards Miss Smyth and tried to share women's fashion tips with her.

On one occasion Miss Smyth, who runs a cupcake business, posted on Instagram that she was suffering from 'obsessive cupcake disorder'.

Aching, who served in the army as a combat medical technician, responded by saying: "Definitely miss a certain someone's cupcakes."

Another time, Miss Smyth, who lives in Bournemouth, wrote: "All you you need in life is high heels and cupcakes."

Aching, 47, updated her own bio to read: "Love how high heels make my legs look good."

She changed her own Facebook profile picture to one that contained the victim.

The defendant also regularly turned up Miss Smyth's home and work, leaving the victim feeling "scared and insecure".

In September 2017, CCTV from Miss Smyth's home captured Aching, at that point still Lee Baker, turning up during the night.

He then disappeared out of sight before reappearing several minutes later, when he was filmed shining a torch inside a car parked on her drive.

The harassment went on from July 2017 to September 2018.

Giving evidence during a trial, Miss Smyth said the constant harassment had left her feeling like she was "being watched all the time".

She said: "It's made me feel frightened, uneasy and like I can't live life.

"It's like I'm being watched all the time and I'm still frightened now.

"I've been suffering with depression and anxiety because of it and I've had to work shorter hours."

Aching failed to turn up for the trial and was found guilty of two charges of harassment, breaching a restraining order and stalking in her absence. She was jailed 15 months when she appeared for sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Nicholas Tucker, mitigating, said that Aching had only recently been released from a psychiatric unit and would be victim of "merciless bullying" in prison.