A man was fined $1,000 after he admitted a breach of a domestic violence protection order.

Aswad Wilson, 36, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to the breach, which involved contact with his former mother-in-law to pass on a message to his ex-wife.

The court heard on Monday that Wilson had been married since 2010 but separated in 2013 and his then-wife obtained domestic violence protection order against him.

The order, which was renewed this year after their divorce was finalised, banned Wilson from contact with the woman – which included contact through someone else.

But the court heard that Wilson contacted his former mother-in-law, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, on Facebook on October 8.

He said: “Tell your daughter to stop harassing my soon to be mother-in-law.”

The woman contacted her daughter, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, and the two reported the incident to police.

Wilson was arrested last Friday.

Auralee Cassidy, for the defence, said that her client contacted his former mother-in-law because he believed her daughter had misused the protection order to harass Mr Wilson’s family.

Wilson told the court that he thought their divorce certificate would “override” the domestic violence protection order.

But he added that he understood “a breach is a breach”.

Magistrate Maxanne Anderson ordered Wilson to pay the fine by the end of day.