A PROPERTY developer who admitted stalking his ex-wife carved her name on a tree in woodland in Rossett, a court heard.

Michael Schilt refused to accept the end of his relationship with his partner, Judith and travelled up to North Wales where she had moved to live.

He sent her a card saying he knew where she lived as well as numerous text messages. Hoping that he could reconcile the relationship he said he went into a woodland area he knew she frequented and carved his wife’s name on the tree in as a “romantic gesture”.

He was seen by a passerby and Mrs Schilt spotted her name on the tree while she was out walking.

Mrs Schilt said her former partner’s actions caused her such distress that she was considering changing her name and appearance.

In a victim impact statement read to North East Wales Magistrates’ Court she said: “I knew I needed to get away from my property so Michael would not find me.

“Although he has had strict bail conditions (since being charged) I have been living in fear – he knows where I live and myself and my dogs are not safe.”

Schilt, 42, of St. James Square, Bath, admitted a charge of stalking without fear of alarm or distress between February and April this year.

Euros Jones, defending, said Schilt had faced a trial on the more serious charge of stalking involving serious alarm and distress, but had always been prepared to admit the lesser stalking charge.

“It is quite clear that there was a two-way conversation. The police missed 8,000 text messages (on the defendant’s phone) since the start of the year between the two parties,” said the solicitor.

“On March 6 there were 241 messages between them at a time she was saying she was saying she was fearful of him. He has never accepted there was any fear of violence because of the reciprocal nature of the messages.

“There was a suggestion in one of the messages that she would give him one more chance.

“Carving her name on the tree was a romantic gesture, but he knows he shouldn’t have done it. He went to Rossett to see if they could reconcile.”

District Judge ordered Schilt complete 100 hours of unpaid work and told him: “Your actions caused serious distress to your former wife as it caused her to adjust her lifestyle.”

Schilt also has to undertake a relationship course as part of a one-year community sentence and 10 rehabilitation activity days.

He will have to pay his former wife £250 compensation and was billed £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £85.