Dad told his ex: 'I will kill you, I promise' before kicking down door at Burslem house

A FATHER-OF-TWO who went to his ex-partner's house 'looking for trouble' has been spared jail.

Anthony Walker sent Kelly Bushell two abusive texts on the evening of August 11 last year, with the second one stating: 'I will kill you, I promise'.

He then called her to say he was on his way, prompting Miss Bushell to alert police.

Walker arrived at her Burslem home and kicked the door in, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.

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Prosecutor Neil Ahuja said: "He forced entry by kicking the door.

"Witnesses could hear shouting outside.

"The defendant shouted abuse which seemed to be directed towards Miss Bushell's new partner, Mark Wynne."

The court heard the incident carried on inside the house and Mr Wynne sustained an injury to his hand which required hospital treatment.

Mr Ahuja added that neighbours saw Walker leave the house with a table leg and he went in an alleyway and dropped it.

Walker was arrested and in his police interview he accepted attending the address and admitted sending two texts but said he did not mean anything by it.

He said he disliked Mr Wynne and added that on entering the address it was Mr Wynne who had the knife which they struggled over before he ran off.

Walker, aged 24, formerly of Stoke-on-Trent who has been living in Birmingham, pleaded guilty to affray, on the basis he did not brandish a knife.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, conceded it was an 'ugly disturbance'.

"The incident followed the end of a long relationship with the complainant," said Mr Cliff.

"He accepts now that the relationship is over."

Mr Cliff said there had been no problems since the incident. The defendant has been living in Birmingham and has had no contact with his children for about six months.

Mr Cliff added that Walker is a hard worker who has no convictions for five years.

He urged Judge David Fletcher not to send Walker to prison and to suspend any sentence. The judge said the offence crossed the custody threshold but he was not going to send him to jail.

He sentenced Walker to eight months in prison, suspended for 24 months, with 18 months supervision and 120 hours unpaid work. He must also pay £690 costs.

Judge Fletcher said: "I sentence you on the basis you did not brandish a knife and the knife and table leg were brandished at you by Mr Wynne. If that was not the case you would have been going to prison for a considerable time today.

"You went to this house for trouble, in the presence of two children and Miss Bushell's new partner.

"You behaved in a way which must have been extremely distressing to your children."