A man who created a fake Tinder account for his ex-lover, which included intimate images, attracted “totally unwanted advances from strange men” and made her life a misery, has narrowly avoided jail.

The 28-year-old was lambasted by a judge for his “cruel behaviour” that has had long-lasting harm on a woman who’s had to make major changes to her life to avoid the fallout from the hoax profile.

Judge Tony Couch told the man, who cannot be named to protect his victim’s identity, that a message needed to be sent to the public that “misuse of social media in this way is totally unacceptable”.

Today, Christchurch District Court heard how the pair had been in a relatively brief relationship between late 2016 and early 2017.

Over the course of their courtship, the woman shared “images of an intimate nature” with him, the court heard.

Last February - four years after splitting up - the man said he got drunk and created a Tinder account that used his ex’s name and some of the old images she had sent him.

The profile stayed up all year and was only removed in December last year at the woman’s request.

But the next month, the man created another Tinder profile, which used her name and images again, but this time with pictures of a child, as well as her occupation and place of work.

He was later charged with causing harm by posting digital communication and appeared in court.

Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger today pointed to a pre-sentence report, which noted the man’s behaviour was “completely out of character” and said he was genuinely remorseful.

His drinking at the time was identified as a factor – something that he’s since gotten under control.

However, Judge Couch refused to accept being drunk as an excuse.

If he created the fake Tinder profiles while drunk, then he would’ve removed them once he’d sobered up, the judge said.

He said the man’s actions were intended to “embarrass and humiliate” the victim, adding that it was cruel behaviour.

She received “totally unwanted advances from strange men” and had to change key aspects of her life to avoid them, Judge Couch said.

“You made her life a misery,” he told the man in the dock.

The judge initially thought he would send the offender to prison.

“You should think about that,” he said.

But in the end, he was sentenced to four months and 14 days of home detention, and ordered to pay the woman $1000 in emotional harm reparation.