A court in Austria on Wednesday sentenced a man who sent his ex-wife 7,648 text messages within six weeks to six months in prison.

The 33-year-old Romanian national was charged with stalking and making dangerous threats.

The man and his wife separated earlier this year after six years of marriage.

The man reacted to the break-up by sending a barrage of messages, including 50 in which he threatened the woman.

The ex-wife told the court she did not believe he would actually attack her.

The judge asked the defendant how he had managed to send so many messages – an average of about 190 a day – and keep his job at the same time.

He wrote mostly at night, the man answered the judge.