A 38-YEAR-old Darwen man who made a menacing phone call to police in which he threatened to kill a particular officer later said he was not a violent man.

And Blackburn magistrates heard the prosecution accepted Anthony Vincent Mellinger had never intended to carry out the threats which had been made at a time when he was very upset.

Defence solicitor Andrew Church-Taylor told how Mellinger's state of mind had been affected when family members estranged by a previous dispute over a will refused his offer of an olive branch. He said the police officer he had threatened was a distant cousin who Mellinger thought was party to the family plot against him.

Mellinger, of Police Street, pleaded guilty to two charges of using the public telephone system to send a message of a menacing nature. He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £60 costs. Two charges of making threats to kill were withdrawn.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the calls were made to the communications office at Greenbank police headquarters in Blackburn from a call box in Duckworth Street. The caller was abusive and claimed a police officer was pushing him to suicide.

Mr White said police who went to Duckworth Street found a witness who had seen Mellinger leave the phone box and go into the Police Street Hostel. When interviewed Mellinger said he had been very angry but had no intention of carrying out the threats. He said he would like to apologise for any stress he had caused.