A dad terrorised his former partner and her mother by threatening to torch their home and kill them, a court heard.

Lee Nolan, 24, told the pair: “I will be back later and I will burn your house down. I'm going to pour petrol through the letterbox and kill you.”

Burnley Crown Court was told how police were so concerned about the threats, the victims were put into a hotel for the night, out of the area.

The mother was traumatised by her ordeal.

The defendant, of Branch Street, Nelson, admitted threatening to cause damage.

He received 36 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, with 12 months of supervision. Leaving court, he said to Judge Beverley Lunt, who had slammed him as a ‘nasty bully’: “Thanks. I won't let you down.”

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said the defendant struck on the Diamond Jubilee weekend.

Nolan and his former partner had split up three weeks before. He had been invited round to see his baby son, but had started to act in ‘rather strange’ way.

Police were called but the defendant disappeared.

He then began to ring his ex, telling her she had better get away from the front room window, as he was going to throw a brick through it and pour petrol through the door.

Miss Statham said Nolan’s former partner was on the phone to police and when her mother went to close the curtains, the defendant made threats he would burn the house down and kill them.

Police arrived and the frightened mother and daughter were sent to a hotel. Nolan contacted police a few days later and was arrested. Richard Taylor, for Nolan, said he expressed remorse.