A stalker who sent Facebook emojis to his victim weeks after release from prison following a terrifying four-month vendetta is back behind bars.

Peter Orsman, of Ashford, used the social media site to post thumbs-up symbols, a blue heart and a friend request, in breach of a restraining order.

The 54-year-old was locked up for a year at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, where it emerged he also pinned the location of his victim’s home onto an online map.

In January, the former nurse was jailed for ten months at the same court after the prosecution outlined his terrifying four-month vendetta against a man, which included a "malicious" outing of his sexuality on social media.

Having pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress, Orsman was released immediately due to time already served on remand.

But during the hearing, Recorder Daniel Stevenson stressed Orsman was "very much the author" of his misfortune and handed down a five-year restraining order.

It banned Orsman from contacting his victim, attending his home address and workplace, and posting about him on social media.

But about a month after his release, Orsman sent the same victim a Facebook thumbs-up symbol, followed by another in March, a blue heart in May, and then a friend request.

When police were alerted to Orsman’s latest offending they made a disturbing discovery on an electronic device.

Officers found he had persistently Googled his victim’s name and pinned the location of his home address onto an online map.

Hauled before the same court in July, Orsman pleaded guilty to four counts of violating a restraining order and later admitted one charge of online surveillance, with a judge describing his actions as “flagrant breaches of protective orders”.

Orsman’s brave victim, who must remain anonymous for legal reasons, revealed the extent of torment he suffered at his stalker’s hands during a sentencing hearing at the same court on October 10.

He said in a victim impact statement read in court: “His continued contact scares me and I fear that he will never leave me alone.

“I have heard stories about stalkers killing and, with the previous incidents, I have tried to just bury my head in the sand and hope this would end.

“But the most recent incident has proved to me that he will not move on.

“If I receive a phone call from an unknown number, I panic.”

Prosecutor Sophie Murray said the victim did not respond to Orsman’s communications, hoping he would get bored and leave him alone.

With Orsman appearing in court via video link from prison, Recorder Sarah Counsell stressed she was unimpressed with his reaction as the victim impact statement was read.

Handing down a one-year prison sentence, she said: “You do not appear to be able to take seriously the impact that your behaviour had on him.

“He describes that he is hyper-vigilant, he is scared about how or when this will end, he worries the he will never be left alone - none of that is anything to laugh about.

“It seems to me that these were serious and persistent breaches, and that they caused serious harm and distress.”

Mitigating, Samuel Glanville said each Facebook contact was a “minor breach” and searching his victim’s name online was less serious offending than “placing trackers and such”.

“Each breach happened roughly a month apart and each is a minor breach when considering each is a single contact,” said Mr Glanville.

“A message such as an emoji is one that can be easily made and there was no further attempt at communication.

“In terms of the online surveillance and Googling him repeatedly - it’s not as nefarious as it may seem at first blush.

“It’s accepted that Mr Orsman shouldn’t have been doing that.

“But in consideration of what the court sometimes sees in cases involving surveillance in terms of placing trackers and such, searching a name on Google and Facebook is relatively minor.

“He very much wants to put all dealings behind him.

“He was employed as a district nurse prior to this.”

For the surveillance charge, Orsman was handed a 12-month custodial term.

However, due to the time he has already served on remand, he will be released from custody before the halfway point of the sentence.

He will then be on supervision for 12 months. The recorder also issued Orsman concurrent sentences of 18 weeks for the other charges.

“There is a restraining order still in place until 2029,” the judge said.

“Should you breach that in any way, for any reason, even if it is sending an emoji on Facebook, you will be brought back to court and may be sent to jail for up to five years.”

Orsman, a former senior nurse of no fixed abode, waged a four-month vendetta against the man last year which included a "malicious" outing of his sexuality on social media.

The ex-East Kent Hospitals Trust employee posted a collage of photos of the victim on Instagram branding him a liar.

He also set up a fake profile on the Grindr dating app, put a tracking device on the victim's car, forged hospital appointment letters "to waste his time" and destroyed his lawn with vinegar.