Newport man spared jail over threats to kill his ex

James Eldridge, of Newtown, Church Aston, admitted two charges of sending menacing messages and one charge of possessing a knife when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.

He was given a community order and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to undertake a building better relationships programme and pay £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.

The court heard he had found out his ex-girlfriend had a new partner and sent her two texts threatening to kill them both.

Mr John Barnett, prosecuting, said Eldridge had also phoned the police to tell them he was going to murder the couple and would cut the throat of any officers they sent out and then his own.

He had sent two text messages to the victim telling her he was going to kill them both and would spend the rest of his life in prison, Mr Barnett added.

The court heard his ex-girlfriend had started a relationship with a work colleague while at a Christmas party in Stafford, where Eldridge had drunk between one and a half and two bottles of vodka.

Mr Barnett said Eldridge had picked up an eight-inch knife from the kitchen at his home and put it down his trousers.

Eldridge who was unrepresented at the hearing, said: "It was a stupid mistake and I completely accept that the relationship is over. I am never going to make a stupid mistake like this again. My life is far more valuable than getting sent to prison."

He also told magistrates he had not contacted his ex-girlfriend since the incident. He was also given a restraining order not to contact the victim.