A stalker who harassed a former female colleague has been jailed.

Tony Henton, 48, admitted two charges of breaking a restraining order preventing him from making contact with Zineet Zaman, by speaking to her on February 19 in Oxford city centre and sending her a letter on March 12.

An order preventing him going within 100m of Mrs Zaman was imposed last October when he was found guilty by magistrates of harassing her by sending her letters and turning up at her home and her place of work, the Aziz restaurant in Cowley Road.

In sentencing Henton, of West Way, Botley, Oxford, to 14 days' imprisonment, Judge David Morton Jack said: "This is a warning shot. If you disobey the orders of the court again, it won't be measured in days, but in weeks or even years."

Nicholas Syfret, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court on October 22, said Henton had grabbed Mrs Zaman's arm during the incident in February and told her he loved and adored her.

Mr Syfret said: "As a result, Mrs Zaman was afraid to go into Oxford city centre in case she saw him. She started taking sleeping pills because she was worried."

Natalie Wood, defending, said Henton had bumped into Mrs Zaman by chance and spoke to her about his civil court case against Aziz-ur Rahman, owner of the Aziz, for breach of copyright.

He asked her for the address of four Asian newspapers that Mr Rahman had given photos taken by him, she said. Henton has since successfully sued Mr Rahman for £40,000 for breach of copyright. The court heard Henton had also told Mrs Zaman he had reported her to the Home Office, saying she stated she had been married 24 years but had given her age as 36 at a previous court case.

Miss Wood said: "Not only was he obsessed by the civil action that was taking place at the time of these breaches, he was obsessed by this lady."

Henton, who denied physical contact with Mrs Zaman, has a previous conviction for harassing Nina Pereira at the Randolph Hotel in Oxford.