A WOMAN woke in her Darwen home to find her ex-partner standing over her bed.

Blackburn magistrates heard Steven Wilson then subjected Nicola Banks to a prolonged and terrifying ordeal which only ended when she was able to get her phone, lock herself in the bathroom and call the police.

Wilson, 28, of Henry Street, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to assaulting Nicola Banks and breaching a restraining order in her favour. He was remanded in custody until June 12 when evidence will be called to establish the facts of the incident.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said Wilson had been given a lifetime restraining order two years ago but had breached it several times. Miss Banks had kept her address a secret and did not know how Wilson had found her.

"She woke up in the early hours of Sunday and found him standing over her bed," said Miss Akhtar. "He said he wasn't going to hurt her but then started calling her a baby killer. She has panic alarms in the house but they were in another room."

Miss Akhtar said Wilson became angry and started shouting and at one point he lost his temper and punched her on the arm. Miss Banks went back to bed because she was too scared to make a run for it.

Later when she heard the front door close and thought he had gone she ran into the living room, got her phone and locked herself in the bathroom while she called the police.

He came back into the house and demanded to know who she was on the phone to, the court heard.

"He went quiet and she asked one of her children if he had gone and the child said yes," said Miss Akhtar. "As she opened the bathroom door he ran back up the stairs and barged the door open, knocking her to the floor."

In a statement to police Miss Banks said she kept moving home but Wilson kept finding her.

"He needs to leave me alone so I can get on with my life with the children," she said.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client claimed he did not go into the house uninvited.

"He went round to discuss a recent abortion," said Mr Taylor. "As far as he was concerned the child was his and the abortion occurred without any consultation."

He said there was an argument and when his client barged the bathroom door open he did not realise she was behind it.

"He pleads guilty to assault on a reckless basis," said Mr Taylor.