A HADDINGTON man has been placed on a community payback order after he breached a court order banning him from contacting a woman.

Bruce Farquhar had been sentenced to a non-harassment order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on July 27, 2022, that stated he could not contact or approach his former partner.

But the 43-year-old broke the terms of the order by repeatedly contacting the woman in a threatening manner on April 6 and 7 this year.

He admitted the offence when he appeared at the city court in April and last week returned to the dock for sentencing.

Sheriff Ian Anderson imposed the community payback order as an alternative to a fine and placed the offender under the supervision of the social work department for 18 months.

The sheriff also stated that Farquhar, of Gowl Close, Haddington, must engage with mental health services when directed to do so by his supervising officer.