But the admission had to be prised out of the unemployed 25-year-old when he fronted Albury Local Court for sentence.

Magistrate Imad Karim-Abdul asked Brett Daniel Barton, who represented himself in court, if had anything he wanted to say on his behalf.

“Oh, nothing,” he said.

Mr Karim-Abdul then pushed Barton on the point, wanting to know what he would do to make sure his offending was never repeated.

“I regret it,” Barton said.

“I never want it to happen again.”

RELATED: TEXTS CAUSED FEAR

Barton, who now lives with his parents, previously pleaded guilty to stalk and intimidate and to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.

The court was told how Barton and the victim were in a relationship from early 2016 to early 2018.

Their attempts to remain civil for the sake of their two-year-old child though meant the relationship went through a phase of “on and off” until September.

The victim began getting offensive text messages from Barton when she was on her own at her Logan Road, North Albury, home on November 27 about 10.15am.

Barton’s harassing and threatening texts included one that read: “You’re dead and you’re partner’s dead. I want to hurt you. See you very soon.”

After sending her several more similar texts, the victim phoned Barton to try to calm him down.

But this only aggravated him even more, with Barton threatening: “I’m coming to get you.”

The victim fled, concerned for her safety.

While driving along Alemein Avenue, North Albury, Barton began following in his father’s car.

She recognised the car and so drove at a “high rate of speed” to try to get away.

Police said Barton told them during an interview that he was “frustrated by the victim not allowing his new partner to be in his son’s life”.

Barton was convicted and fined $300.

He was also placed on a 12-month community corrections order to be of good behaviour for 12 months.

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