Rhys Davies banged on the woman's door, on March 30, but there was "a short delay" before she answered, said prosecutor Jo Lewis-Crookes.

"When she did open the door she noticed damage had been caused," she said. "She vacated the property and went to a friend's."

On her return she discovered the letterbox had been pulled off, the screen of her £250 television was cracked, and there were holes in the walls of the stairway and bedroom.

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Around £200 of damage had been caused to the bedroom furniture, a £35 vibrator and a door handle.

The court heard he had no previous convictions and a restraining order was not requested.

"He had been trying to contact her and was unsuccessful," added Ms Lewis-Crookes.

Yvonne Wragg, mitigating, said Davies, of previous good character, accepting damaging the personal items, but not the walls, furniture or television.

Sheffield Magistrates Court

She said he currently suffers from mental health problems and had started new medication the day before his arrest.

Davis, 29, of Duke Crescent, Barnsley, admitted the damage, when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

District Judge Naomi Redhouse told him: "The courts take issues within the home very very seriously. But everyone's situation is different.”

She handed Davies a 12-month conditional discharge, and ordered him to pay £150 in compensation and £85 costs.

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