A man who wrote abusive messages and tipped paint stripper over his ex-wife's car has been jailed for four months.

Adrian James, 37, of Eastern Road, Haywards Heath, poured paint stripper over Julia Stevens' Mitsubishi Gallant, put glue in the locks and shoved expanding filler into the exhaust after their marriage failed.

He also left a sheet on the windscreen scrawled with an abusive message.

The £7,565 car was declared a write-off, Lewes Crown Court heard yesterday as James appeared for sentencing.

Judge Richard Hayward told James: "The clang of the prison gate is the only punishment in this case. It was not committed on the spur of the moment in the first flash of emotional separation - it was planned."

James had pleaded not guilty to criminal damage but admitted the charge on the day of the trial last month, when the case was adjourned for reports.

James and Mrs Stevens split on New Year's Eve 1999.

Judge Hayward said he wished the offence had been committed ten days later because then, by law, he would have been able to place James under an Antisocial Behaviour Order.

Mrs Stevens discovered her wrecked car at 7.30am on November 29, 2002, outside her house in Janes Lane, Burgess Hill.

Julian Woodbridge, prosecuting, said: "The attack took place in the dark but luckily Mrs Stevens had a camera overlooking the car and there was one frame where she recognised her ex-husband under the security lights.

"She also recognised his handwriting on the sheet."

James, a telecoms engineer for Ericsson, was arrested and his house searched.

Forensic examinations revealed a sheet found there matched the one on the car.

A pot of paint found was linked to the writing on the sheet.

Judge Hayward said: "He's one of these chaps who can't accept his marriage is over."

James was ordered to pay £7,000 compensation to Direct Line, who paid out on the car insurance.