A riding instructor was forced to change her car, and her horses' stables, after receiving threats from a former lover who began stalking her just weeks into their relationship.

The woman was made to endure "misery day after day" as bully Adrian Moon tried to wreck her career, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Now the 40-year-old, of Bishops Oak Ridge, Tonbridge, has been jailed for 30 months.

He admitted stalking her for four of their five-month relationship.

Prosecutor Mary Jacobson said the victim said everything had been fine for the first few weeks they were dating.

"But the defendant then became abusive and controlling and regularly accused her of cheating and the relationship deteriorated," she said.

"She suggested he get counselling because by December 2021, when she walked away, he followed her in his car demanding she get inside.

"She walked away again and went to the stables. It was 9.30pm and again he followed and threatened her with a tyre iron so she would return to his home.

"The victim eventually moved her horses to a different stables."

The court heard how Moon later left messages telling staff she was unsuitable to teach children and accused her of using Facebook to cheat on him.

"He took her by her shoulders and tried to push her down stairs," she added.

"He also left messages threatening to burn her house with her and her mother in it."

• To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.
• For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.

Ms Jacobson said Moon verbally abused her and she was so frightened she changed her car.

The court heard four samples from 29 voicemails Moon left for his victim. He also used false profiles and names to continue the harassment.

In her victim impact statement, she revealed: "I am at my wit's end.

"I have had to change so much of my life and I was scared about losing my job."

He was jailed after admitting a charge of stalking and banned from contacting her in the future.

Moon has 28 previous offences, including one for harassing a former partner in 2015.

The judge, Recorder Ed Burge QC, told him: "You engaged in a course of conduct against your ex-partner, bombarding her with abusive and threatening texts, and phone calls.

"You were physically violent by throwing a car jack which hit her car and tried to prejudice her work.

"In short you made her day to day life a misery."