But that was just one in a series of incidents over four months.

The relationship between the victim and Braydon Johnstone had been over for about 12 months when the man continued his harassment.

She took out an intervention order against him when he said he would “come around while you’re sleeping and torture you”.

The order banned all contact between the pair.

Johnstone appeared in Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to breaching that order and magistrate Stella Stuthridge said he was facing up to 18 months in jail.

His offending started with 49 calls from a private number during a single day on August 27, then continued throughout October and November.

When the woman did answer the phone, she was met with abuse from Johnstone.

He not only sent her photographs on Snapchat, he also messaged the woman on Facebook with a picture of a firearm.

Two days later, the messages went a step further with a selfie of Johnstone and what appeared to be a sawn-off shotgun slung over his shoulder.

Lawyer Sally Wilson told the court it was an imitation firearm.

She said the victim had also called Johnstone multiple times over the four months, despite the intervention order banning all contact.

He was battling an addiction to the drug ice at the time.

Police originally arrested the man in October, but he continued to offend, so was placed in custody when arrested a second time on November 11.

Ms Stuthridge said the offences amounted to stalking and she was concerned about Johnstone’s prior history for similar family violence incidents.

“This is sustained abuse … he’s taken a photo of her in Corowa and sent it to her,” she said.

“He can’t behave like this.

“I accept he’s got a mild intellectual disability, but he knows he can’t do this.”