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A woman has been banned from referring to her former partner and his new girlfriend on social media - and could face five years in prison if she does.

Maureen Curoe, of Belfast, was slapped with a two-year order after mounting a long-running Facebook campaign against the couple.

The 40-year-old had been partner to Adrian McAleese for nine years up until three years ago, reports Belfast Live.

She was told by District Judge Liam McNally at Coleraine Magistrates Court: “It is now time for these messages to stop”.

And he told her she had to get on with her own life and allow Mr McAleese and his girlfriend Yvonne Hegarty to get on with their lives.

(Image: Mark Jamieson)

He imposed a two-year restraining order which bans Curoe from posting any messages or getting somebody else to post a message for her on any social media making any reference to Mr McAleese or Ms Hegarty or making any reference to any history involving them.

Curoe’s defence barrister Ben Thompson said Ms Curoe believed that could be abused by the alleged injured parties.

Dismissing charges that Curoe had improperly used Facebook by posting menacing messages, Judge McNally said there had been posts made on Facebook but that they did not meet the test that they were of a menacing nature.

A prosecutor told the court they would offer no evidence on the charge that Curoe had harassed Ms Hegarty if the court would grant a restraining order to prohibit her referring to either Ms Hegarty or Mr McAleese on social media.

(Image: Google Maps)

At the same court last year Curoe pleaded guilty to sending obscene and menacing messages regarding Ms Hegarty on Facebook.

Judge McNally said at that time he had considered a jail term but changed his mind as Curoe was pregnant - she was given a four month jail term, suspended for two years.

The court heard messages sent by Curoe alleged he had done 'certain things' against her and was 'the lowest'.

Yvonne Hegarty was referred to as a “sick b***h”.

Defence barrister Mr Thompson alleged that the Facebook account the messages came from was “false” and set up by McAleese and Hegarty to ensure Curoe was in breach of a suspended sentence but the witness denied that.

In any case, Mr Thompson said, the messages were not menacing.