An “obsessive” fan with a “sexual interest” in Billie Piper has been jailed for 12 months for breaching a stalking prevention order designed to protect the ex-pop singer and Doctor Who star.

Philip Jerome, of Winchester, Hampshire, appeared at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on his 49th birthday after pleading guilty to four breach charges.

The court heard police carried out an inspection of his devices on 27 December, finding four images of Piper saved on his phone, and that he had tagged 11 posts and images on X relating to her on four days that month.

Defence lawyer Caroline Bonavia said he had had a recent autism diagnosis and had sought psychological support over “obsessive” relationships.

The court was told Jerome had been made subject to a restraining order in 2018 after attending Piper’s home address, posting cards through her door and sending letters by post to her.

He then breached the order in December that year by sending messages on Facebook to her mother and sister “expressing a wish for them to meet up” as well as for attending Piper’s home and making comments about her choice of partner.

Police also found ring binders at his home containing newspaper clippings, details of events and other merchandise, the court heard.

Jerome was jailed for 12 months in 2022 for a breach of the restraining order by turning up at a Comic-Con convention where he posed for a photograph with Piper twice on the same day.

Security ejected him from the event after Piper had recognised him on the second occasion, the court was told.

The defendant had also been convicted of harassment against a female friend dating back to 2012 by “sleeping outside her address in the woods”.

Prosecutor Anisa Alrubaie told the court Jerome had been made subject to the stalking prevention order relating to Piper on 21July 2022.

Alrubaie said one of the posts found during the police inspection of his devices on 27 December last year included a single comment on 7 December in which Jerome wrote that a GQ awards image might have made him fall for the star, adding: “She is great without a bra too.”

The prosecutor said Piper’s X account was organised by her personal assistant who did not “generally inform Ms Piper of posts” due to a “significant amount of negativity that is not relevant” of which she did not “need to be made aware”.

District Judge Kirsty Allman told Jerome he had “demonstrated an entrenched pattern of stalking and harassment offences, and failing to comply with court orders”.

The judge told Jerome the “motivation” was to contact Piper “in the hope she will engage in a relationship with you”.

Bonavia, defending, said: “Were it not for the order, these [offences] would be very similar to what a keen fan would post about a public figure.

“A lot of them are similar images of her head in an Andy Warhol arrangement, many repeats essentially of her face and sometimes with artificial intelligence (AI).

“The difference for him is that he must not do this and he accepts it.”

Bonavia said Jerome had shown a lack of remorse and empathy, had had a recent diagnosis of autism and had sought psychological support to stop him seeking “obsessive and unsuccessful relationships”.

She said his breaches “had moved a great deal away from what one would think were the terrifying elements”.

“He needs to learn that fan or not, even this sort of posting is not permitted.”