A man who carried out a prolonged campaign of harassment against a post master while under the influence of legal highs has spoken of their dangers.

Nathan Winter launched an emotional speech from the dock at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court yesterday after being handed a 12-month community order.

The 23-year-old, who pleaded guilty to harassment, told the bench he was hooked on synthetic cannabis, known as Spice, during the nine-month period when the offences took place.

On the day The Queen announced new laws to help authorities tackle legal highs, Winter said they should be banned completely.

Chairman of the bench, Alan Golding, said he regretted magistrates did not have the power to deal with the substances.

The court heard how unemployed Winter repeatedly entered Kingleys post office in Kingsley Road, Maidstone, despite being banned.

"It’s not right that people can legally profit from it while other peoples' lives are destroyed." — Nathan Winter

Owner Ketan Dixit told police he would come in a couple of times a week , threatening him and his staff, on one occasion saying he would burn the place down and on another that he would glue the locks.

Wayne Crowhurst, defending, said Winter, who lived in the town at the time of the offence but has since moved to Shadoxhurst, was now free from an abusive relationship and had given up cannabis and legal highs.

Magistrates also ordered Winter to pay £200 in costs and avoid Kingsley Road and any contact with Mr Dixit or employee Susan Haywood for five years.

Speaking after the hearing Winter said: “In prison I started smoking cannabis, but when I came out I couldn’t buy it because I would have been arrested. A woman approached me in the street and offered me Spice. She said it was legal and wouldn’t show up on drug tests.

“For three years I was addicted and I tried to take my own life twice, if it wasn't for my mum and a friend I wouldn't be here. Every time I tried to give up I would crave it and be willing to do anything to get it.

“It ruined relationships for me. It’s not right that people can legally profit from it while other peoples' lives are destroyed."

He added he once was stabbed in the face while high and refused hospital treatment because he thought he was fine.

On another occasion he could feel things crawling under his skin and attempted to dig them out with a knife.

He added: “I've developed mental health issues since I started using, now I apparently have bipolar.

"All legal highs need to be banned, no one knows the amount of chemicals in them and the way they’re packaged makes them look like they’ve been tested.”