A woman who bombarded a private investigator with more than 1,000 phone calls in a twoyear campaign of harassment has walked free from court.

Rajinder Plaha, 30, also blitzed David Clare with 200 text messages during the same period - up to 30 times a day and from 7am to 1am.

Lewes Crown Court heard Crawley magistrates imposed a two-year restraining order banning her from contacting him.

But a year later she breached the order by making 20 silent phone calls to Mr Clare, managing director of Alpha Detective Agency in William Morris Way, Crawley.

Bridget Norfolk, prosecuting, told the court the magistrates' order was imposed on February 9, 2007.

She said: "Mr Clare is a private investigator and the defendant became a client of his in 2003 and 2004. He never met her and his father dealt with the case.

"The current harassment began on March 12 this year when the victim began to receive about 20 silent phone calls from a withheld number.

"He then received text messages and suspected that they were from the defendant. One contained just a question mark and another just said hello with a cartoon character.

"On March 14, the text messages became longer and changed in mood. One contained a sad face and there were some sexual suggestions in some of the messages.

"On March 24, Mr Clare received a telephone call from the defendant which his wife answered.

"The defendant had a short conversation with Mr Clare's wife, which was ended by her.

"A text message sent on March 30 read, If this goes to court they will put me in a mental home and feed me tablets to death. Please don't let this happen'."

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Clare said the harassment was unprovoked and unwarranted.

During a two-year period Plaha phoned him more than 1,000 times and sent him 200 text messages.

He said the harassment began shortly after he married in 2005 and had caused friction between him and his wife.

Plaha, of Gillingham, Kent, admitted breaching a restraining order. Judge Richard Brown gave her a 24-week jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 12 months' supervision.

He told her: "If you don't stop this sort of behaviour you will go straight to prison. It's the last chance hotel as far as you are concerned."