Andrew Brady, 31, from Sheffield, admitted to harassment at a hearing on 1 February and was jailed on Friday for four months.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, sitting at Sheffield Crown Court, said Brady's claims that Mr Wootton was in some way responsible for Flack's death were "wholly irrational".

He noted how the former executive editor of The Sun was a friend of the Love Island presenter, who died in 2020.

Judge Richardson told the defendant that his attacks on Mr Wootton had "everything to do with your craving for celebrity status and your irritation that the press were not in the least interested in your somewhat uninteresting life".

In sentencing Brady, the judge noted that given the time he served in remand, he would be released in the "very near future".

Brady was also hit with a 10-year restraining order, banning him from contacting Mr Wootton, posting anything about him online, or going within 200 yards of his home or workplace.

Judge Richardson described Brady's social media posts about Mr Wootton as "utterly outrageous", and warned him he faces a prison sentence measured in years if he breaches the order.

The judge was told Brady accused Mr Wootton of being a sex offender and a murderer during a two-month-long campaign and compared him to convicted disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Judge Richardson said it was "deeply offensive criminal conduct" and described it as "irrational" and "narcissistic".

Mr Wootton 'adored' Caroline Flack

In a statement read in court, Mr Wootton - who watched the proceedings by video link - said he "adored" the "late, great Caroline Flack".

"I only ever wrote stories about Caroline that she wanted to be published," he said. "She knew I had her back. The public should be aware that he (Brady) has no credibility to speak on behalf of Caroline.

"I hope he gets the help he needs."

The court heard how Brady's campaign began on the one-year anniversary of Flack's death and involved what the judge described as "deeply unpleasant nonsense" across a range of platforms.

Laura Marshall, prosecuting, said one message Brady posted about Mr Wootton said: "Felt like getting rid of him once and for all."

And she said WhatsApp voice messages left for the presenter included comments like "you are culpable for people's deaths" and "you are an evil man who needs to be dealt with".

The judge said he was "entirely satisfied" that Brady's "catalogue of abuse" had "very little to do with the death of Miss Flack".

The judge told Brady: "Put simply, you must stop doing what you do."