A MAN sent such a 'profoundly offensive and vile' text message to his ex-partner that a senior prosecutor could not read it out in open court.

Joseph Trotter unleashed the disgusting rant — all in upper case lettering — after his eight-year relationship with the woman had come to an end.

Trotter, 42, who was convicted last year of assaulting his brother's pregnant partner, later claimed to police that he was drunk when he sent the text.

Now Sheriff Andrew McIntyre has decided that the matter is of such gravity that sentencing should be postponed in order to address whether there was 'a significant sexual element' to the offence.

Prosecutor David Glancy said: "If the intention of sending that sort of message was to cause upset, it was clearly successful.

"It was brought to the attention of the police and the accused was thereafter traced and he admitted being its author.

"He claimed he was drunk at the time."

In court, Mr Glancy passed the contents of the message up to Sheriff McIntyre, who remarked: "It is profoundly offensive, sexual in nature and vile."

Greenock Sheriff Court was told that Trotter sent the text 10 minutes after being ordered by his ex to leave her house on the afternoon of July 15.

He had gone there regarding a matter which arose three months after they had split up.

Fiscal depute Mr Glancy said: "It is fair to say that he was not entirely welcome and he was asked to leave.

"The message appears to have been sent as a vile rant for the purposes of humiliating the complainer."

Trotter, of Dempster Street, pleaded guilty to sending a message that was 'grossly offensive or of indecent, obscene or menacing character'.

He was convicted at a trial in January last year of punching his brother's pregnant partner on the head, and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to prison.

Defence lawyer Gerry Keenan argued that Trotter's latest offence was not committed for sexual gratification.

The matter is due to call again before Sheriff McIntyre on November 11.