A Disabled man bombarded a couple with scores of threatening and sexually-explicit letters, a court heard.

Wheelchair-bound Barrie Ebdon is alleged to have sent up to 100 typed notes over three years to Dennis and Elizabeth Fowler.

Brighton Magistrates Court heard the letters outlined concerns Ebdon had with the police, his ex-wives, the Church and legal proceedings he was involved in.

Mrs Fowler described yesterday how she was embarrassed by the letters and was so upset they made her cry.

At first, she and her husband, from Portslade, did not take them seriously.

But Mrs Fowler told the court: "They started getting worse. It was all about things of a sexual nature. I felt really embarrassed by them and really distressed. Sometimes they made me cry.

"They started talking about his sex life, how it was non-existent. I think that part of your life should be private."

Ebdon, 58, of Rowlands Road, Worthing, has denied charges of harassing the couple between July and December last year.

Mr Fowler said: "It got a bit boring. The same thing over and over again, his family, his marriages and his sex life."

He said they complained to the police in November last year because they "just wanted it to stop."

Mr Fowler said: "I ended up with a headache and not being able to breathe because of the stress of it."

Mrs Fowler said she and her husband became friendly with Ebdon because they thought he was lonely.

The court heard Mr Fowler met the defendant four years ago when he became a regular customer at the garage in Brighton Road, Shoreham, where Mr Fowler worked as a cashier.

They struck up a friendship and in late 1998 the couple were invited to Sunday lunch at Ebdon's home in Shoreham, where he lived at the time.

A few months later, Ebdon was asked by the garage manager to stop coming to the garage. Soon afterwards the letters started arriving.

Dominic Dudkowski, prosecuting, said: "Initially they were innocuous but over time they became troublesome and upsetting.

"They included a variety of the defendant's opinions about his ex-wives, his sex life, matters he felt were sexual perversions, including opinions of people who indulge in casual sex.

"The couple were upset by these letters. Mrs Fowler was particularly upset by the sexual content. She would describe herself as a shy, quiet lady."

Mr Dudkowski read out extracts from the letters, which were addressed to the couple or individually. In the extracts, Mr Fowler was described as an "idiot" and "a chicken."

Ebdon said his psychiatrist had described Mr Fowler as an "historic delusion."

He referred to being asked for unsafe sex. He wrote: "It disgusts me totally to even think about it."

Written on the back of one envelope was: "Re Mr Wee Willy and Mr Farty A*** and Chicken."

Mr Dudkowski said: "They were upsetting and on occasions contained veiled threats. We say his behaviour amounts to harassment."

The trial continues.