A man who mounted a campaign of harassment against his estranged wife walked free from Norwich Crown Court.

Judge Mark Dennis QC sentenced Anthony Bamford, 55, of Runton Road, Cromer, to 16 months imprisonment for making threatening phone calls and sending messages to his wife in December last year.

Many of the messages were sent through their nine-year-old son.

After the offences Bamford was arrested and served seven months in custody, which combined with another 35 days he had served fitted with an electronic tag, was enough to see him go free yesterday.

His sentence was 62 weeks imprisonment and he was ordered to pay £500 compensation, and received an indefinite restraining with regards to his wife.

The court heard Bamford caused his wife great distress, and threatened to kill her and frame her for various crimes.

Mr Dennis told him: 'It's not only [your wife] that has been harmed but it is your son. You should be now with a very heavy heart.'

Bamford was also up for an offence of affray, along with his 31-year-old son, Andrew Bamford, of New Parade, Cromer.

This matter involved two separate assaults using iron bars and shovels against men working on a Cromer construction site on June 22 last year.

The confrontations were caused by an argument over an unpaid bill.

Mr Dennis said: 'I have heard nothing to justify you taking the actions that you did.

'It is just brutal behaviour and it has now put you in court.'

Andrew Bamford was given a nine month suspended sentence for this, and was ordered to pay £500 to the victim and do 100 hours unpaid work.

His father was given a six-month sentence for the affray, but this was put down as concurrent to his harassment sentence, so he did not have to serve any extra time.

Both Bamfords were given a reduction in their sentences for earlier pleading guilty.