A STALKER who left his victim feeling "trapped" and unable to sleep has avoided immediate imprisonment.

Adrian Totu, 49, of Fisherton Street, harassed his ex-girlfriend over the course of three months, on one occasion turning up to her house and putting his hand through her open window in a "terrifying" attempt to engage with her.

Moments later, on December 18, Totu loudly banged on the victim's window, demanded she let him and left her feeling 'as if she was going to have a heart attack'.

Then, on February 12, the victim bumped into Totu outside Millstream Medical Centre and approached her "smiling and arms open as if everything's normal".

In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "I feel worried. He is watching everything I do. I have no strength to continue in this way."

Totu confronted the victim again on March 3 outside TK Maxx and she had to be escorted out the back and through a staff exit.

The victim admitted she had only left her house three times this year and Totu had approached her twice.

Adrian Totu was found guilty of stalking on June 19.Adrian Totu was found guilty of stalking on June 19. (Image: Newsquest)

A non-molestation order was made against Totu in March and the following month he attempted to call the victim and sent her several text messages confessing his love at 3am on April 1. He sent similar messages via Instagram on May 25.

In an impact statement, the victim told the court how she had been prescribed anti-depression medication because of Totu's actions.

She said: "Just the thought of seeing him makes me seize up. I feel trapped and I can't move on with my life.

"He has lots of friends in town who are always watching me. This makes me feel uncomfortable.

"I have lost who I was and I'm an absolute mess."

Totu, representing himself at Salisbury Magistrates' Court on Monday, July 15, maintained his innocence in regard to the stalking charge.

The self-employed bricklayer, who had already spent 77 days in custody, said: "I need to not go to prison because I have a child to bring up. I have to work."

Chair magistrate Martin Clarke said: "We have had a lot to consider this afternoon. The breach of the non molestation, stalking, criminal damage and possession of drugs."

Mr Clarke said the fact Totu breached a non-molestation order "virtually straight after it was imposed" shows he had "no respect for a court order whatsoever".

He added: "In terms of [the victim's] life; she can't get on with her life, she feels trapped, she is not safe and can't sleep at night.

"That's all down to you Mr Totu and your actions. So here we are now and you're going to pay the consequences for those actions.

"Does it pass the custody threshold? Well it's your lucky day although it might not be because we think it crosses the custody threshold and we are going to suspend any prison sentence."

The court heard how Totu was sentenced to seven years in a Romanian prison in 1994 for raping a woman.

Totu was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison concurrently for the stalking and breach matters, suspended for 18 months.

No further punishment was ordered for the drug possession and criminal damage offences.

Magistrates also ordered Totu to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £200 compensation to the victim, £650 court costs and a £154 surcharge.

A three-year restraining order was also imposed preventing Totu from contacting the victim and going to the road she lived on.