A Briton who was infatuated by a young Spanish woman whom he met in the UK, chased her all the way to Malta and harassed and insulted her when she refused to meet him here.

The man, Stephen Baker, 33, of Plymouth, admitted in court today to having harassed and insulted the woman, language student Lina Atiyat, using his mobile phone.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi condemned Mr Baker to a one-year jail sentence suspended for four years and cautioned him to be careful as the criminal record was now accessible to jurisdictions across Europe and any convictions showed up on his record in other countries.

He also asked Mr Baker what his next move was once the court case was finished and he said he was going to forget all about the woman, to which the Magistrate said 'smart move'. He also advised him to leave Malta as soon as possible to avoid any further problems, and Mr Baker said he intended to do so.