A COURT has heard how a woman bombarded her former partner with abusive texts after their relationship broke down.

Rachel McAleavy, 41, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday after admitting two counts of putting a person in fear of violence by harassment.

A flavour of the vile messages sent by McAleavy to Stacey Madden was given during the hearing before Judge Peter Davies.

Prosecutor Beccy McGregor said McAleavy and Miss Madden had been together for a decade before parting last year. It was after Miss Madden started a new relationship that problems arose.

“The defendant clearly began to become jealous, expressing this repeatedly in numerous text messages,” said Ms McGregor.

She vowed to make Miss Madden’s life “hell” and also “knock her teeth to the back of her head”.

“She sent a photograph of a selfie stick – on the end of that there is a gun. She states that ‘some people need to buy the selfie stick and I will pay’,” added the prosecutor.

Both Miss Madden and her new partner, Ashleigh Keeling, were affected by the messages. An “escape route” was even plotted in case McAleavy went to Miss Madden’s home.

McAleavy later fully admitted being responsible for the messages, saying she was drunk at the time.

Greg Hoare, defending, said a number of glowing references had been written on behalf of McAleavy.

“They speak of an utterly different side to this lady’s character,” said Mr Hoare.

Judge Davies imposed a two-year community order and told her to complete 180 hours’ unpaid work.

McAleavy, formerly of Whitehaven but now of Leyton, London, was also made subject to a restraining order.

This prevents her from contacting both Miss Madden and Miss Keeling for the next five years.