"THERE needs to be a break-in before the police can do anything, you must really think I'm stupid,” a Preston man texted his former partner amid abusive messages.

He was wrong.

The 46-year-old who threatened both his former partner and her mother over the phone left Proserpine Magistrates Court with three months' imprisonment, wholly suspended for 18 months, hanging over his head.

The man, who cannot legally be identified, appeared on Monday in police custody and pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence protection order and using a carriage service to menace or harass.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Hannah Beard outlined the events from July 25-28 when the man sent expletive-filled, threatening messages and phone calls including "don't walk home alone” and telling her mother "your crack whore is dead and now I'm going after you”.

The victim's mother called police to perform a welfare check.

When the aggrieved was at the police station giving a statement, the man phoned her multiple times and police recorded their conversation. As she was leaving the police station, the man drove past her as she stood out the front.

PD Law's Elizabeth Smith said her client was contacting the victim over a ring he wanted back.

"A number of the messages he has no recollection of sending - he was affected by alcohol in the early morning,” MsSmith said.

"He did not see her at the police station when he drove past ... There was nothing sinister in him being on Altmann Ave at that point.”

Ms Smith told the court the local restaurant manager planned to relocate back to Townsville where he had family support and his children.

Magistrate Simon Young said the offence involved a significant degree of controlling, abusive and degrading behaviour with presumptions of entitlement and threats.

"These were not vague threats, both to the aggrieved and to the aggrieved's mother,” he said.

"This is still an extremely serious example of domestic violence, although I do accept no actual physical violence occurred.”

The man was sentenced to three months' jail, suspended for 18 months, with convictions recorded.

The protection order was amended to include a no contact condition, to name the victim's mother and was extended for five years.