A 20-year-old Sutton woman repeatedly phoned her former partner for an explanation about the sudden ending of their long-term relationship, magistrates heard.

Amy Short was heartbroken when Katherine Corrigan, 19, moved out while she was away on holiday in Australia, Skipton Court was told last Wednesday.

Short was issued with a harassment warning by the police after phoning Miss Corrigan more than 20 times in the early hours of August 11 and trying to speak to her at the nursing home where she worked.

But Short failed to heed the warning, and again attempted to talk to Miss Corrigan when she saw her waiting for a bus in Sutton on August 14.

Short, who denied harassment without violence, was found guilty by magistrates after they heard she accepted her behaviour would have caused Miss Corrigan harassment and alarm.

Miss Corrigan said on August 11, she had received several phone calls from Short – answering just one of them – and had also received a text message from her in which she said she had wanted to kill her.

Short was in a car with friends on August 14 when she saw Miss Corrigan waiting at a bus stop.

Miss Corrigan claimed Short shouted out of the car window that she wanted to kill her, and then approached her in an angry way, prompting Miss Corrigan to telephone the police.

But Amelia Mitchell, who was in the car at the time, said she had not heard the threats to kill and Short had approached the other woman in a conciliatory way.

Short, of Main Street, told the court she was very upset at what she considered the sudden ending of her long-term relationship.

“I didn’t want her back, or anything like that – she had cheated on me,” she said.

“I was upset. I loved her and I wanted an explanation.”

The court heard Short, who had no previous convictions, was now settled in a new relationship and had moved on.

Sentencing was adjourned for reports. Short was given bail on condition she did not contact Miss Corrigan.