Man found with 1,000 erectile dysfunction tablets says they were for his own use

A man with a restraining order told a judge his Christmas Eve emails to his ex were “the stupidest thing I’ve ever done”.

Louis O’Donaghue’s lovelorn messages led police to find 1,000 tablets used for erectile dysfunction in his home.

The 35-year-old was jailed for assaulting his former partner causing actual bodily harm and given a restraining order banning him from contacting her in July last year.

Four months after his release from prison, he sent her emails professing his love for her in the early hours of December 24.

Teesside Crown Court heard how O’Donaghue wrote: “I’ll never stop loving you. I miss you so much. I hope you’re happy.

“Please talk to me. Why do this to us? Come on. I know you’re not happy.”

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said yesterday: “She says it’s an attempt by the defendant to rekindle the relationship.

“She’s quite plain she doesn’t want it rekindling, and doesn’t want Mr O’Donaghue to contact her.

“She wants nothing to do with the defendant anymore.”

Officers went to his home on January 22 and found four tablets in his pocket and another 1,000 in the front room.

They were identified as a prescription drug used for erectile dysfunction.

O’Donaghue said they were for his own use, he bought them from a shop in Manchester two years ago and did not know they needed a prescription.

Teesside Crown Court

O’Donaghue, of Evesham Road, Park End, Middlesbrough, admitted breaching the restraining order and possession of a medicinal product.

His 14 previous offences included wounding with intent and assault from the 1990s, with long gaps in his record.

Representing himself in court, he said he contacted his ex about visiting his child, “hoping we could be realistic about it and sort something out”.

He told the judge: “I genuinely do respect the restraining order.

“I don’t want to cause her any pain or any trouble. The emails were non-threatening.

“It was Christmas Eve and it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I did it out of emotional attachment to my son.

“I accept it was childish and foolish to send those emails and I respect the law.”

The floor layer, now training as a scaffolder, said he had job offers and wanted to better himself.

An ex-partner gave evidence for him, saying she was with him for nine years and he “never laid a finger on me”.

Judge Peter Bowers said: “The thing we see a lot of is people who try to make up relationships usually after midnight, usually when it’s the most inappropriate time and when it’s most unlikely to succeed.”

He told O’Donaghue: “I’m not going to send you to prison today. That would be silly.

“If you get in contact with her again, you’ll be in serious trouble. You’ll be in prison straight away.”

Still on licence for the assault, O’Donaghue was given a two-month jail term suspended for a year with supervision.