The man who sent threatening letters to members of the De Mol media family was sentenced to 441 days in jail, 300 suspended, by judges in Utrecht on Thursday.

However, Dirk M will not spend any more time behind bars because he has already spent his sentence in jail awaiting trial, Dutch media say.

M has also been banned from the area around the home of media magnate John de Mol and his television presenter sister Linda.

M, who is 70, sent letters to John de Mol last year, demanding €5m in cash. If payment was not made, M said he would hurt Linda and her children.

The court ruled M was only partly responsible for his actions because of his dementia. M was released from custody in April because of his illness.

The case hit the headlines last year when M ordered a box of cakes with a threatening letter to be delivered to John de Mol’s home. The baker was able to describe his client, which led to the arrest.