A man from Birkdale has been jailed after pleading guilty to domestic offences he committed against a woman over a four-month period.

Ayden O’Brien, 38 years, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and was sentenced to three years in prison today (Friday 16 October).

He was also issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim from future harassment or fear of violence from him.

The court heard O’Brien met the victim in April after contacting her on social media.

Within just a few weeks, he became controlling and would expect constant contact with the victim. On many occasions he demanded to go through her phone – threatening to harm her family if she did not comply.

In July the victim had the confidence to come forward after reading press reports of previous domestic offending by O’Brien.

In August he was arrested and charged with stalking with fear of violence, malicious communications, assault by beating and criminal damage, and was remanded into custody.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, she said: “Before I met O’Brien, I would never have been able to comprehend that a person can have such a massive impact on my wellbeing in a such a short space of time.

“I question things that I never thought of before like walking to work on my own which I have stopped doing and changed the way I travel and where I go. I now avoid places that I previously would have been fine with. If I see someone who looks like him I panic and I’m overcome with fear. I have become someone who is scared to go out alone.

“I always worried for my family’s safety, I never knew what he was capable of and was constantly on edge and follow through with his threats.”