'Dominatrix' client sent to jail

The court heard that Simon Owen became "obsessive"

A man who became obsessed with a "dominatrix" has been jailed for breaking a restraining order designed to keep him away from her.

Simon Owen, 37, from Treorchy, Rhondda, was sentenced to 16 months by Judge Milwyn Jarman at Newport Crown Court.

The court heard that Owen had regularly travelled to visit 34-year-old Melanie Lumb, who lives in Kensington, west London, for £150-an-hour sessions.

But he became infatuated and phoned her "hundreds and hundreds of times".

The court heard that Mrs Lumb, whose website describes her as a dominatrix, is also known as Mistress R'eal and has a dungeon fitted with chains, whips and handcuffs at her home.

Sentencing, Judge Jarman said Owen became "infatuated" with her.

He could not help himself and kept calling her - blocking up her phone and chatline Prosecutor Ieuan Bennet

"You see yourself as a victim of this, but I have seen how distressed you made her," he said.

"I must make it clear to you and others the courts do not look lightly on breaches."

The judge told Owen he had suffered from depression, and was intelligent and hard-working. He said: "This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice."

The court heard Owen became "obsessive" and made life difficult for Mrs Lumb and her husband John Cox, 70.

He had denied breaching the order, but was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court last month.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said: "He called her hundreds and hundreds of times and they fell out.

"She got a two-year restraining order on him to stop.

"But he could not help himself and kept calling her - blocking up her phone and chatline."

But Newport Crown Court was told that Owen was no longer infatuated with her. He claimed the dominatrix had sent an indecent photograph of him to his bosses.

Mrs Lumb advertises herself as "among the best of UK mistresses."