A cowardly thug threatened two pregnant women and their children claiming he would mutilate, burn and shoot them.
Sean Marr , 33, was previously convicted of threatening to petrol bomb an ex-girlfriend’s house with her young family inside.
But Liverpool Crown Court heard his threats became even more sinister when he split up with pregnant Dawn Donnelly, 39.
Miss Donnelly said his behaviour became a problem during their 10-month relationship and Marr promised to get counselling.
But when the mum-of-four eventually broke up with him, he sent a series of horrific messages, between March 18 and 24 this year.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Marr threatened to throw acid in her and her daughter's faces, to kidnap and slash her son, and murder her.
Marr, of no fixed address but formerly of Edge Lane, Fairfield, also warned he would have their baby taken off her by social services when born.
On March 26, he started messaging Danielle Daley, 29, on dating website Badoo and they arranged to meet up in Southport.
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They saw each other on March 29, 30 and 31, and Miss Daley explained that she was pregnant with someone else's child.
But he started telling her "to get rid of it", became suspicious of her talking to other men and threatened to kick her front door in.
Miss Daley said he came to her house on April 2, when her two children were at home and kicked at the door - a claim which he denied.
He sent a text saying he was going to burn her house to the ground, even if her children were inside, before sending a picture of a gun.
Marr told his victim "got your name on ready" and "I ain't f***ing round, this is next level stuff and you're going to pay for it".
He later added: "Better watch I don't come and grab them kids."
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When arrested, Marr confessed to police but said he wouldn't have carried out the threats and just wanted to scare his victims.
Miss Daley said she couldn't sleep through fear and described how she was "constantly watching her back".
Miss Donnelly said she would be anxious for years to come and "felt like a prisoner in her own home".
She said she had installed CCTV cameras and spiked fencing, and changed the locks at her property.
Marr, who appeared via video link from HMP Liverpool and admitted two counts of stalking, has 20 previous convictions for 66 offences.
Mr Jones said he was jailed for five and a half years for robbery and kidnapping as a youth.
In 2015, he was spared prison after threatening to petrol bomb his ex-girlfriend's house with her children inside .
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Marr was jailed for 16 weeks for threatening an ex-partner in 2016, and for 42 weeks in 2017 for three offences of battery against another woman.
Paul Wood, defending, accepted Marr's actions were upsetting for his pregnant and vulnerable victims, but said he was remorseful.
He said: "The defendant wishes me to express how sorry he is for how he's behaved. He knows his behaviour isn't normal."
Mr Wood added: "He knows he's got to leave both these ladies well alone."
The barrister said Marr had "a very difficult childhood" and "witnessed things he shouldn't have seen as a child", before going into care.
In 2015, the court heard Marr witnessed a murder at the age of 14, in which a man was stabbed 18 times.
Mr Wood said Marr accepted he had "significant underlying problems" and suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
He urged the court to impose a suspended sentence and suggested Marr had a better chance of being rehabilitated in the community.
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The judge, Recorder Michael Murray, made two indefinite restraining orders, preventing Marr from contacting either victim.
He said Marr could contact Miss Donnelly about his unborn child via solicitors, to which he replied: "I don't think it's my baby anyway."
Recorder Murray said Marr's actions, including threatening to "mutilate" Miss Daley, were those of a "very jealous" man and jailed him for 20 months.
