Wolverhampton sex pest who met women online jailed after threats

Mark Mason targeted three women in as many months within weeks of being punished for the carbon copy harassment of an earlier victim.

The 48-year-old from Old Hall Street, Wolverhampton, made contact with them through Facebook and the Plenty of Fish dating website, the city's crown court was told.

But the tone of his on line messages changed from tender to terrifying when they lost interest in him. One victim received an endless stream of up to 40 upsetting comments.

Mason had received a community order in September after threatening to kill a woman who ended their relationship after two meetings.

Then in January he tormented a woman for five days when she refused to meet for sex after conversing over the internet, revealed Mr Gary Cook, prosecuting, who continued: "His comments became hostile, threatening, relentless and deeply unsettling."

Among them were threats to 'nail her dog to the wall' and petrol bomb her home, the court heard.

"He said she had destroyed his life and now he was going to destroy hers, " revealed Mr Cook.

Another woman who met him a week after being contacted out of the blue through Facebook gave him the cold shoulder within half an hour of them meeting for the first time.

He responded by announcing she should run for her life if she saw him again or else he would 'cut her face off.'

Finally in March he went out for a meal with another woman he had contacted through Plenty of Fish.

"It was not an unpleasant evening but she decided not to see him again," said Mr Cook. The spurned defendant bombarded her with offensive messages, including a threat to harm her daughter.

Mr Christopher O'Gorman, defending, observed: "This was disturbing when set against his former offending. He has anger issues which need to be addressed."

Mason admitted two charges of sending threatening messages and one of stalking between January and March.

He was sent to prison for two years ten months by Judge John Wait who said: "As soon as the women made clear they did not want to continue with your relationship you started sending vile messages. This was appalling behaviour."