IPSWICH: A man accused of breaching a restraining order told police the businessman he texted more than 200 times tried to get him locked up under the Mental Health Act, a court has heard.

Anthony Bond

IPSWICH: A man accused of breaching a restraining order told police the businessman he texted more than 200 times tried to get him locked up under the Mental Health Act, a court has heard.

Andrew Algar, 48, sent businessman Alan Clarke the text messages because of a dispute over a family issue.

Magistrates had made a restraining order in April 2008 banning Algar from contacting Mr Clarke after convicting him of harassment. The order was to run indefinitely.

Algar has denied breaching the restraining order. Although he admitted sending the text messages, he said he thought the order only lasted for 12 months.

At Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, a jury listened to a police interview with Algar following his arrest.

He told a police officer: “I did not realise that it (restraining order) was going to be for ever. I thought that it would be for a year or less.”

Algar also told the police that he did not accept the restraining order as a legal document because his date of birth on the order was incorrect.

During the interview, Algar also claimed that Mr Clarke had tried to get him locked up under the Mental Health Act and had visited him prison.

He added: “I have had a terrible, terrible time and it is all down to Alan Clarke trying to protect his reputation and covering up his lies and I think that time will tell that I am right. He is a bit of a nasty piece of work.”

The court heard previously that Algar allegedly said that he wanted to make Mr Clarke's life as miserable as he had made his.

Mr Clarke told the jury that he had initially been “surprised and bemused” by the text messages, but then became angry when they were sent at 3am and 5am.”It was a massive inconvenience” he said.

The trial continues today.