A student nurse feared for her future when her ex-partner made false and malicious allegations that she shared confidential details about patients’ sexual health.

Neil Thomas Walters, of Colby Cottages, Llawhaden, stood trial at Haverfordwest magistrates on Wednesday, April 11, and was found guilty of harassing Estelle Williams between October 1, 2014 and August 15, 2017.

The court heard that Walters, 46, and Miss Williams were in an on/off relationship between May and October 2014, and she received a number of ‘unpleasant and abusive’ messages after they split up.

Walters was issued a notice by police in August 2015, stating that further contact would be considered harassment.

He then made a complaint to the local health board where Miss Williams worked, claiming she had breached patient confidentiality.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, said: “It was a malicious complaint. There were no grounds for it. He was trying to make her life difficult.”

Miss Williams was subjected to a full investigation by her employers, which cleared her of any wrong doing, and she was exonerated a second time when Walters made another complaint.

Mr Pritchard-Jones said: “She spent over a year of her life worrying that she could lose her job because of a malicious complaint by the defendant.”

Student nurse Miss Williams told the court told the court she had received requests from Walters to follow her on a running app, and messages which appeared to apologise for his behaviour.

“Immediately after the relationship broke-up he started contacting people trying to make problems for me. He was ringing me all the time. I would just ignore as much as I could, but it just seemed to be constant.”

The court heard that police were contacted after a swearword was keyed on Miss Williams’ car, and two weeks later Walters made the first complaint to the health board, claiming she had discussed patients’ details with him, giving their names and diagnoses.

She said: “My professional life was in the balance because it was a very serious allegation. I would have been unemployable.”

Miss Williams added that she had felt scared while out running and in the house by herself due to Walters’ behaviour.

“It has affected very aspect of my life really.”

Walters, a commercial diver, told the court that he was unaware Miss Williams wanted him to leave her alone until he attempted to speak to her at the gym in August 2017, despite the earlier police notice, and was trying to do the ‘grown-up’ thing by apologising, but was not apologising for anything in particular when sending the messages.

“I wanted to apologise to her because, in the land of the grown-ups, after not speaking to someone for two years, an apology is the right thing to do.”

He added: “It was just to take the moral high ground.”

Walters described Miss Williams as a fantasist who was ‘making things seem more sinister then they were’.

Vaughan Pritchard-Jones said: “You are obsessed with this woman, and obsessed with destroying her life.”

Walters told the court that his life was ‘amazing’, he was part of an award-winning company and was often on television.

Magistrates found Walters guilty and adjourned sentencing until May 2 for a report to be completed.

He was released on bail with the condition not to contact Miss Williams.