A NEYLAND woman’s frustrations came to a head when her boyfriend set fire to her sex toys while she was out of town.

Luke Hicks, of Mayfield Acres, Kilgetty, admitted causing criminal damage to two vibrators when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old also pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment without violence.

The court was told how Hicks had been in a relationship with the woman at the time of the offence.

She returned home on April 2 following a day in Cardiff to discover that Hicks, who works for an insurance firm, had let himself into the property, torching her sex toys and burning a cupboard drawer.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said the damage to the two vibrators had been the last straw for the woman, who ended the relationship that day.

“He let himself into the flat and burned two sex toys that she had in the bedroom, and made a small burn mark on the chest of drawers,” said Mr Pritchard-Jones.

The bench heard that Hicks had little recollection of the incident due to being ‘extremely drunk’ at the time, having downed 15 pints, vodka and champagne while at Ffos Las racecourse and in Saundersfoot.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “He had not expected his girlfriend to go out as well. He let himself into her property and found that she was not there.

"He had drunk far too much than was good for him.”

Mr Pritchard-Jones added that Hicks sent a constant stream of texts to his former partner over the following nine days.

“Some were abusive, but mainly they were trying to persuade her to get back with him.”

Hicks continued to message her on a daily basis, despite being told that any further contact would be considered harassment.

On one occasion, he followed her car for a number of miles after she had left a Pembroke Dock supermarket.

In interview he stated the texts were a misguided attempt to get her to speak to him.

Mr Kelleher said that the incident was not the first time the couple had spilt up, and she had blocked him on her phone on the previous occasion.

“In his eyes, because he had not been blocked, he saw a glimmer of hope,” Mr Kelleher said.

He added that Carew cricketer Hicks just happened to be driving in the same direction as his ex when she felt that he was following her, and continued to his home.

“He accepts that the relationship is over.

"The texts were born out of a sense of frustration, which grew and grew.

"Unfortunately, some were a bit rude, but most were asking her to contact him.”

Magistrates ordered Hicks to pay £16 compensation for one vibrator and £50 for the other plus £120 for the drawer.

He was fined £220 for the damage plus £330 for the harassment.

He was also ordered to pay £140 in costs and a surcharge.

The bench also imposed a two-year restraining order.