A court heard that an 'extremely jealous' Manchester man threatened to kill his partner and burn her house down with her children inside.
The woman had only been with Tayran Benjamin for a matter of months but felt unable to break up with him because of the threats - which began after he accused her of cheating on him.
Benjamin also spray painted the word 's**g' on the woman's car and on another occasion damaged the vehicle with a metal bar, Minshull Street Crown Court. heard.
READ MORE: Man, 33, dies in tragedy after taking cannabis to celebrate his birthday
The 37-year-old sent the woman 'degrading' texts containing lots of 'unpleasant' name-calling.
"From February onwards he made threats to burn her house down with the children inside," Miss Bowcock, prosecuting, told the court.
Other threats included telling her "that he had a gun, that he would shoot her in the stomach, that he would stab her outside her children's school, and that he would kill her if they had a child together."
He also said that he would run her out of Manchester 'like he had done with his last partner'.
The court heard that that the woman knew that he had abused his ex.
When she blocked his number he messaged her through her Instagram cleaning account, and then via Facebook and Snapchat.
He also got a new number and the day before the woman finally got in contact with the police he had made 106 calls, the court heard.
In March, Benjamin, of First Avenue, Manchester, became aware that she had a male guest visiting her house.
He made it clear to her that he was outside the property and that she was being watched, the prosecution told the court.
This led to her inviting friends over to give her 'moral support'.
She then received a text that said: "Check your car s**g just so you know it wasn't me."
The court heard that Benjamin had spray painted the word s**g on the woman's car.
In another incident, Benjamin got the woman to drive to his friend's house to prove she wasn't cheating - and when she arrived he damaged her car with a metal bar, the prosecution told the court.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said: "I feel scared and frightened for the safety of myself and my children."
She said that she didn't want to get in a relationship with him but that she felt like she doesn't have a choice.
"He wouldn't leave me alone so I found it easier to get back together," she said.
Miss Cooper, defending, said that there was no evidence that Benjamin possessed a gun or anything else to carry out his threats.
The court heard that Benjamin has issues with alcohol and with drugs - which he started taking as an 11-year-old.
Miss Cooper said that he wasn't in a 'good state' when he was taken into custody after the death of three of his friends.
The court also heard that he fell out with her father and that his grandfather died.
"He acknowledges he wasn't in a position to get in a relationship with anyone," she told the court.
Mr Recorder Ciaran Rankin said that Benjamin appears to be an 'extremely jealous and suspicious partner' who sent 'degrading and abusive' messages.
"It takes two to tango, as they say. She doesn't want to tango, so leave her alone," the recorder told the defendant.
Benjamin was given a 24-month prison sentence suspended for two years after admitting to coercive behaviour and criminal damage.
The judge said this was possible as Benjamin, who was appearing in court via video link from prison, had already spent four months in custody.
He said that some of the threats made were 'very serious' - including when he was spying on her from outside her house.
Recorder Rankin said that the defendant will end up in prison for breaching a court order if he gets back in touch with her.
Benjamin was also told to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, building better relationships and alcohol treatment courses, and that trial monitoring will be required. He will serve a sentence for criminal damage concurrently.
A restraining order has been made until further notice.
