A man who harassed his ex-partner has been sentenced to community work, despite protests from his lawyer this would interfere with his job.

Kathleen Mulhern, who represented Morden man Mark Dickinson when he was sentenced at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, argued her self-employed client should be punished by way of a fine, for reasons including the fact doing unpaid work would interfere with the running of his commercial waste disposal company.

The 50-year-old harassed his victim at her home three times last year, all within a month of her being granted a non-molestation order designed to keep him away.

His lawyer also argued against a restraining order for Dickinson, claiming it would make it difficult for him to visit a pub at which he has been a regular for 11 years.

She said her client posed a low risk of re-offending and would not seek to contact the victim again.

She said: “Their relationship ended – that’s it for him.”

But at the hearing on January 25, district judge Tessa Szagun rejected the pleas.

Earlier, she had said: “It requires a level of punishment that will focus Mr Dickinson that such offending behaviour is not acceptable.”

The court heard Dickinson had approached the victim’s home in Morden in February last year – walking or driving past, and on one occasion unlocking the gate – despite an order banning him from the street.

In April last year he denied breaching the order, but was found guilty after a trial.

He had previously been cautioned for harassing his ex-partner after the end of their 14-month relationship.

A restraining order was imposed on Dickinson, from Carlingford Road, who was also ordered to pay £775 in costs and complete 80 hours of community work.