An estranged father who messaged his son on Facebook over Christmas has appeared in court for breaching a restraining order.

Binman Zane Goble sent his 18-year-old son emotional voice notes as well as tagging his boy in posts on social media.

The 49-year-old was banned from contacting either of his sons or their mother after previously being convicted of harassment with fear of violence more than a decade ago.

At the time, an indefinite restraining order was made because of a history of domestic violence, but Goble, a former drug addict, decided he would tag his son in “derogatory” posts on Facebook because he had turned 18.

But a court heard even though his son was now an adult, he had not applied to a court for the order to be lifted so he could have contact with his father, and despite the lapse in time, he still didn’t want to see him as he feared he would “find ways to manipulate him and get back into his life”.

Goble, of Somerset Road, Tunbridge Wells, was arrested over the Christmas period and kept in custody. He admitted two counts of harassment and a breach of a restraining order when he appeared in the dock at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday, December 27.

The court heard he posted several messages on Facebook, tagging his son, between December 11 and December 20, and on December 12 also sent him some emotional voice notes.

Christina Rowberry, prosecuting, told the court the restraining order had originally been made in April 2012 at Maidstone Crown Court and had been varied in 2018.

Miss Rowberry added: “The restraining order was imposed until further notice, but since then there have been three breaches and custody has been imposed. In November 2017 there was a further conviction for stalking and breach of order and there was further custody imposed. This time they are the same victims.

“The order was made on his former partner and their two children, who are now over the age of 18, and they were told if they wanted contact to vary the order, but they wanted it to cover them (the order) and the son who he contacted, doesn’t want contact with him.

“He and his former partner were in a relationship for 16 years until October 2011 and there had been a history of domestic violence, and it was an indefinite restraining order but on December 12 he contacted (his son) and contact is not allowed, and he is not allowed within 400 metres of their home or work.

“(His son) received voice notes and he recognised the voice and that it had been sent from his father’s profile.

“It was nothing insulting, but he doesn’t want contact and it caused him distress.

“Then there were some Facebook comments, some were derogatory while others didn’t make much sense, Jake had been tagged and he doesn’t want to talk to him, he found it upsetting.”

Miss Rowberry also told the court that after being contacted, Goble’s son was worried his father would turn up at their home and potentially injure his mum.

In his victim impact statement, the teenager said: “I want no contact and I am scared of going out as I am worried if I see him, he will find ways to manipulate me and use the excuse of his drug and alcohol abuse to get back into my life’.”

The prosecutor added: “There are screenshots as evidence, it was a deliberate breach.”

Philip Hill, defending, told the court it was more than six years ago when his client last breached the order and that he was a former drug addict, but had now got himself a job, as a binman and his own address and a new partner.

“It was Christmas time and he contacted his son,” he explained. “It’s a very tragic case and he is now going to delete his Facebook and not send messages.

“He will lose his job and his accommodation if he’s not released from custody, he will delete his Facebook profile.

“He has obeyed the order for over six years, the last breach was in 2017, we can’t say he’s a persistent breacher.”

Magistrates decided to adjourn the case and ordered an all-options probation report to be carried out on Goble before sentencing.

He was granted bail until then and was told to return to Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on February 8 to hear his fate.