A MAN who threatened to petrol bomb the home of his ex-partner returned on a later occasion with a wooden bat making threats of violence.

A judge today imposed a 12-month jail term on Lewis Davies but suspended it for 18 months and ordered him to carry unpaid work and rehabilitation activities.

Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said it was claimed he had learnt his lesson from his time on remand in custody and decided to impose a more constructive sentence to protect the victim.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that 37-year-old Davies went to the home of Natalie Moody in Wallasey on the afternoon of June 1.

He shouted petrol bomb threats through her letter box and she took their two children, aged one and three, into the back garden.

He left but returned in his car the following morning and confronted her with what she described as a "baseball bat".

Miss Moody said she saw him "staring" at her from his car, as she was preparing to get into a taxi with their children.

She took them back inside but her dad, who was with them that morning, remained outside until Davies was arrested.

Davies, of Jackson Close, Bebington, pleaded guilty to harassment.

Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, had told the court that a neighbour had seen Davies repeatedly driving up and down the street.

Automatic number plate recognition showed Davies had been in his former girlfriend's street 28 times on June 1, then 11 times the next day.

When arrested and interviewed, he said they had broken up in March.

Davies told police his name was not on his children's birth certificates and unless she proved he was the father he would not give her any money.

The court heard Davies has one previous conviction involving harassing a previous partner.

Gerald Pachter, defending, said Davies had been in a relationship with Miss Moody for several years but it broke down.

She mentioned he was a gambler, which he disputes, and he claimed "there was some infidelity."

Both his children, aged one and three, have the same birthday of May 31.

"He wanted to see his children and went about it completely and utterly the wrong way."

He said that the victim later said that she did not believe Davies would carry out the petrol bomb threats but was very scared at his behaviour.

Mr Pachter pointed out: “I have seldom come across anyone who despises prison as much as him and hopefully he will have learnt his lesson.

"It was his first taste of prison and hopefully his last."

He said that his only previous conviction had been nine years ago and he had been out of trouble since.

Mr Pachter continued: "He is ashamed. He is genuinely remorseful for what he said.

"People say things in the heat of the moment.

"She said 'I don't believe Lewis would carry out the threats to petrol bomb the house'.

"They were truly unpleasant words, terrible behaviour, but he was never going to carry it out," said Mr Pachter, who added that Davies denied it had been a baseball bat.

He explained that the defendant works as a forklift truck operator at Unilever and if jailed, would lose his job.

Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said Davies' victim feared he would attacker her with some form of wooden bat.

He said: "It was committed against a background of you attending that road persistently and telephoning her persistently.

"It's a serious case of harassment and one that clearly crosses the custody threshold.

"You disturbed her and you put her in fear.

"The public interest and protection of the public is best served by suspending the inevitable prison sentence."

The judge ordered Davies to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation activities.

He also imposed an indefinite restraining order.