A man who bombarded his victim with threats including murder and decapitation during a “life-changing” campaign of terror has been jailed.

In addition to the homicidal threats, Shabul Haque sent his target indecent images.

At the 27-year-old’s Ipswich Crown Court sentencing Judge David Goodin told Haque he had threatened his victim in the most frightening way, including “death and destruction”.

Judge Goodin said: “This is an exceptionally ugly case and one with great cruelty. If you had been convicted by a jury such is the extended cruelty over a period of time – this was a humiliating exposé and life-changing event – the shortest sentence I could possibly have passed would be one of 21 months’ imprisonment.”

However, as Haque had admitted harassment he was jailed for 14 months.

Previously prosecutor Robert Sadd said Haque’s victim, who is from the Ipswich area, received 20 to 30 calls and around 15 texts a day from his telephone number.

Their tone became progressively more threatening and abusive.

Mr Sadd said Haque’s target was threatened with being murdered and having their head “hacked off”. Haque, of Watney Street, Tower Hamlets, east London, also threatened to bury his victim and made other threats to kill them.

At one stage he told his victim he was on his way to the Ipswich area.

Haque’s mobile phone was seized by police after an officer went to his home.

The court was told it did not contain all the records of everything Haque sent due to the limits of its memory.

However, over a two-and-a-half day period Haque had made 165 calls to his victim.

Mr Sadd said apart from threats there was another element to the harassment which included indecent images being sent.

He told the court: “Within that was a second strand of harassment, which was not simply explicit but highly explicit sexual images, mainly of women, mainly in an undressed format, and often being touched in a quite intimate manner.”

The court heard Haque had previous convictions for possession of a Class C drug, criminal damage and common assault.

Sam Parham, representing Haque, said: “He accepts he behaved disgracefully. He’s ashamed of himself. He recognises his actions were completely unacceptable.

“There’s little mitigation that you can put forward for it. He says he bitterly regrets what he did.”

In addition to imprisoning Haque, the court made a restraining order without time limit to prevent him contacting his victim again.