A MAN posted on Facebook he "felt a Raoul Moat coming on" while harassing his ex-partner.

David Johnathan Bailey's chilling reference to the killer gunman came amid prolonged criminal conduct towards his former partner, Alyson Hetherington.

A Carlisle Crown Court judge who sentenced Bailey last July heard he "bombarded her with messages".

Previously he had punched Miss Hetherington to the face and arms - causing bruises to her head and forearm.

Bailey, of Burnley Beck Cottages, Great Asby, near Appleby, admitted harassing Miss Hetherington between February and July of 2017, and assaulting her, causing actual bodily harm, the previous summer.

A 26-week jail term was suspended by a judge. Bailey, 39, was also ordered to complete a three-month curfew, 120 hours' unpaid work and banned from contacting Miss Hetherington indefinitely.

But while Bailey did successfully observe his curfew, he was brought back to court amid poor compliance with unpaid work.

Prosecutor Tim Evans told how Bailey failed both to attend community service on September 16 and January 13, and provide good reasons to explain his absences.

Mr Evans, describing one aspect of Bailey's offending towards his ex, said to Recorder David Potter: "On Facebook, a message when the harassment was ongoing: that he felt a Raoul Moat coming on.

"Your Honour will know what unhappy connotations that has, in particular Raoul Moat was someone who killed the boyfriend of his former partner; and his (Bailey's) harassment was of a former partner."

The court heard Bailey had been "beset by transport difficulties" when trying to travel to unpaid work sessions from his rural home. "The point has come whereby the probation service have got rather sick of hearing that as an excuse," said Mr Evans.

Brendan Burke, defending, said Bailey, had suffered "genuine problems" but had now been offered a loan to buy a car, and tackle around 60 remaining hours.

Recorder Potter opted not to jail Bailey, instead imposing 14 extra unpaid work hours as punishment. "You have come, David Bailey, very close to the wire indeed for you having that suspended sentence activated, and activated in full," he said.