A 44-year-old Ipswich man who breached court orders banning him from contacting his former partner by sending her a picture of a heart has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Recorder Graham Huston said breaches of court orders were taken seriously as he sentenced Richard Cole to a four week prison sentence suspended for 12 months on Tuesday.

Cole, of Duke Street, Ipswich, admitted breaching a stalking order made in April last year and breaching a restraining order made in July last year.

Geoff Porter, prosecuting, said that on February 21 this year Cole’s former partner received an email from him containing a picture of a heart.

She opened the email in the presence of police and Cole was arrested on March 9.

Simon Gladwell, for Cole, said his client accepted sending the picture of the heart.

However, he explained that once Cole had selected the heart on Pinterest it had been sent automatically without giving him the chance to choose whether or not to send it.

He said Cole had learned his lesson and there hadn’t been any further contact with the victim since the heart picture was sent in February.