Former Southsea bar owner cries in court as he is set to be freed from seven-year jail term

Anthony Ferreira, 36, broke down in tears in the dock at Salisbury Crown Court as judge Keith Cutler OBE ended the Crown Prosecution Service’s case against him.

Ferreira, linked to Gin & Olive in Albert Road, Southsea, was jailed in November 2016 at Portsmouth Crown Court.

As reported in The News, Ferreira was the driving force of a one-man 'sinister' revenge plot against his former partner when they split.

He launched a £52,000 civil court claim with forged receipts.

Police investigated the forgeries and he was hauled before a criminal court.

Then he arrived at his crown court trial with fake bank statements, bringing the case to a crashing halt on the second day when the ruse was discovered.

Ferreira, whose address was given as HMP Lewes, was jailed for seven years for actions a judge described as ‘calculated, carefully planned and extensive'.

On Tuesday, Salisbury Crown Court heard Ferreira launched a bid to lift a restraining order made against him.

When police got wind of this they went to the Crown Prosecution Service, which charged him with breaching the restraining order and perverting the course of justice for making false allegations.

But judge Cutler dismissed the perversion charge, having earlier dismissed the breach charge.

Judge Cutler said: 'Someone who is subject to a restraining order has a right to apply to vary or revoke it.'

The court heard Ferreira is now due to be freed from prison next month.

Prosecutors had not responded to Ferreira's application to dismiss the latest charge despite being ordered to do so by the judge.

A hearing of up to a day could now take place where Ferreira will make a bid to vary the restraining order.