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A jilted woman carried out an 18-month campaign of harassment against her ex-boyfriend’s new lover.

Danika France, 20, targeted Molly Burrows at her home, work and in public after she started dating her ex Matthew Shackley, a court heard.

France tormented the retail-assistant where she worked at Boots on Mill Street, Macclesfield, to the extent that she was banned from the store.

She also threatened her, posted a message about her on social media, and intimidated the victim by following her on a driving lesson.

The campaign left Ms Burrows ‘scared’ and ‘constantly on edge’ and put her relationship with Mr Shackley under ‘strain’.

France, of Brunswick Hill, Macclesfield, denied harassment but was found guilty after a trial.

Magistrates sentenced her to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

The bench said that the offence was ‘sustained and prolonged’ and was ‘serious’.

France had a previous conviction from 2015 when she was spared prison after posting a ‘revenge porn’ style video on social media of a friend having sex. She appeared on ITV show O'Brien talking about the case.

At Stockport magistrates court on Tuesday, Kate Gaskell, prosecuting, said the victim had never met France until their paths crossed on December 31, 2014.

She said: “Ms Burrows and Mr Shackley were at Pizza Hut in Macclesfield when France walked past. France came into the restaurant and said ‘Don’t look at me or I will batter your pretty little face’.”

The court heard that France began visiting Ms Burrows at work just to laugh at her, but the visits ‘got worse and more frequent’.

Ms Gaskell said: “On one occasion France called her a ‘f****** s****’ prompting customers to challenge her. After a visit in May 2016 the manager decided to ban France from the store.”

The court heard that in April 2016 Ms Burrows was learning to drive with her sister on Park Lane when France appeared in a car behind.

Ms Gaskell said: “France followed her and was holding up her phone as if to video her. She was repeatedly flashing her lights in an attempt to intimidate her.”

The court heard that Ms Burrow later found her car ‘keyed’ in her drive, but France denied being responsible.

Ms Gaskell said: “Looking at previous convictions there is a pattern that suggests she ‘gets back’ at people.

“This victim was caught in the cross fire.”

Saskia Abbot, defending France, an out-of-work carer, has now apologised for the anxiety she caused.

She said: “Ms France believes she is a good person, but sometimes finds it difficult to act in the right manner.”

France was also sentenced to 40 hours unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation activity.