A Torridge District Council member will face prison after he was found guilty of harassment.
In December, Leonard Ford, 64, was found guilty of persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety, and of harassment without violence.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced at Exeter Magistrates Court to 18 weeks in jail.
The Devon council said in December that Cllr Ford had undertaken a ‘sustained campaign of intimidating and bullying behaviour’ towards staff and councillors.
The local authority said intervention through the courts was necessary after its own standards system, with only ‘limited’ sanctions, failed to change Cllr Ford’s behaviour.
Cllr Ford, who is not aligned to a political party, will continue as member for Appledore.
A council spokesperson said: ‘We are currently reviewing the legislation with regards to Mr Ford's position as a councillor.’
