A THUG barged into his ex-partner’s home and tried to take her son from her.

Stuart O’Donnell has been jailed for three years for harassing the woman multiple times despite a restraining order in place.

The 32-year-old of Thornford Gardens, Southend, would send letters, photos and references to his former partner hidden inside presents.

O'Donnell had been barred from seeing the woman since 2015, but sent the messages regardless on several occasions in 2018 and 2019.

Things came to a head on November 3 last year when O’Donnell, as well as a friend, barged into the home and attempting to take her child away while the friend restrained the mother.

The commotion alerted the neighbours and the police were called, meaning O’Donnell never took his son from the house.

O’Donnell appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday via video link, where it was heard he had mad a “gun gesture” with his hand at the boy’s mum before leaving.

He admitted four counts of harassment by breach of restraining order.

In a victim impact statement read out by Judge Andrew Hurst, the boy’s mum said that she sees O’Donnell as “very dangerous” and that she is “extremely scared of him wanted to take her son”.

Mitigation for O’Donnell said he was remorseful and struggled with his emotions following the death of his parents.

Addressing the court, O’Donnell said: “This is my own doing when I should have been following orders, please let me help myself."

Judge Hurst told O’Donnell: “Restraining orders are there to protect people and they work when people obey them, but you completely ignored that order and there was nothing that was going to stop you getting to her.”

O’Donnell was jailed for three years and one month.