A man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after repeatedly breaching a court-imposed restraining order by harassing his ex-girlfriend on social media platforms, including TikTok and WhatsApp.
Matthew Rintoul, 39, from Gillingham, was banned from contacting his former partner for five years following a court ruling in July of the previous year. Despite this, Rintoul persisted in his attempts to reach her, sending multiple voice messages via WhatsApp over a two-week period in February. He used an account under the name “Matt” and made no effort to conceal his identity, clearly violating the terms of the restraining order.
In addition to the WhatsApp messages, Rintoul made several calls, sent a brief text message saying “Hi,” and later turned to TikTok to further his attempts at communication. He viewed his ex-girlfriend’s TikTok account multiple times, even liking a video she posted on March 1, which caused her significant emotional distress.
The victim, who had been forced to make changes to her daily routine due to Rintoul’s ongoing harassment, reported the incidents to the authorities. Rintoul, who has a history of convictions for battery and harassment, admitted to the charges of harassment, breaching the restraining order on four occasions, and violating a six-month suspended sentence that had been imposed earlier for stalking and intimidation.
At Maidstone Crown Court earlier this month, Rintoul was sentenced to 14 months in prison. The court heard that Rintoul’s actions had caused significant psychological harm to his ex-girlfriend, who was left feeling unsafe and distressed.
Rintoul’s actions highlight the serious consequences of ignoring court orders and using social media to harass and intimidate others. His sentence reflects the severity of his repeated violations and the ongoing impact of his behaviour on the victim.