A MARRIED man who stalked a Southend woman by going to her home and workplace has been banned from entering Essex for five years.

Dominic Sothikumar struck up a relationship with the woman while he was married and living in London, The 29-year-old and the woman began as friends after meeting on Instagram, but then progressed to a relationship.

However, it wasn’t until several months into the relationship that the woman found out he was married, and broke it off.

Sothikumar then began stalking the woman, including a time where he followed her to Luton Airport in August 2019 where she was flying to go on holiday.

He also turned up at her address unannounced, followed her home from college and damaged her phone.

Basildon Crown Court heard that the woman was forced to change her phone number four times due to him constantly trying to contact her.

Sothikumar was eventually arrested in February this year and released on bail. However, he continued to contact the woman by posing as other people online.

Judge Samantha Leigh said: “After your arrest in February you continued to contact her and made up four to five fake profiles to try and contact her, asking her not to go to the police and not to continue the case.”

Claire Cooper, prosecuting, told the court that the woman had not told her family about the relationship, as while it was not forbidden, it would have been “against what they wanted”.

Mike Warren, mitigating, said: “His wife fully realised what was going on. She was very upset but is extremely supportive.

“It was an obsessive course of conduct. It was a friendly meeting on Instagram which moved onto this relationship which was very much on-off.

“There is no reason for him to contact this lady or members of her family.

“He will return to work to support his own family.”

Judge Leigh gave Sothikumar, of Russell Street, Luton, an 18-month suspended sentence with 130 hours of unpaid work and 60 days of rehabilitation.

Judge Lee also handed Sothikumar a restraining order for five years which bans him from contacting the woman or entering Essex.