A man told his ex-girlfriend he would petrol bomb her house and "put her in the canal" in two booze-fuelled rants.
Seamus Starr sent his former partner the threatening messages in December of 2020 and January this year just after their relationship ended.
One came after she had already reported him to the police, with Starr threatening her with violence if she didn't "drop charges" against him.
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Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Starr, who lives in north Liverpool, had a brief relationship with the women before it ended in winter last year.
She then received a threatening phone call from him just a few days before Christmas.
Mr Jones said: "She recognised the voice as the defendant.
"During the call, he said "I am going to petrol bomb the house'. She then told him not to contact her and blocked the number."
The woman also reported the call to police, who arrested Starr on December 23. However, not long into the new year he contacted her again, sending a stream of rambling messages.
He told her to "drop the charges" against him, threatened to beat up her new partner and said he would "put her in the canal" if she didn't stop police proceedings.
Those later threats meant he was then arrested again for the more serious charge of witness intimidation.
In a statement to the court, his ex-girlfriend dismissed both the 34-year-old's threats, saying he was "all mouth when he's had a drink".
However, she said they had made her stressed and wary about spending time with her new boyfriend.
Jamie Baxter, defending, said Starr had told him he would never have made such comments had he been sober and was deeply remorseful about what he had done.
Despite Starr's 22 previous convictions for 36 offences, he has only been to prison once and Mr Baxter said custody could have a detrimental effect on him when his behaviour could likely be dealt with in other ways.
Mr Baxter said: "He has a lot of convictions but he is not someone who is in and out of custody.
"It also appears that when he is given suspended sentences he does seem to follow them.
"This is also his first offence in a domestic setting."
However, the judge, Recorder Imran Shafi, QC, said Starr's inability to simply let the relationship end without retaliating against his ex-girlfriend had had disastrous consequences for him.
The judge said his attempt to influence court proceedings meant only a jail term was appropriate.
Recorder Shafi said: "She had clearly moved on as by January she had a new partner.
"You could have let matters end there and you wouldn't be here and you both would have gone on your way.
"She had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with you."
Starr, of County Road, was jailed for eight months for witness intimidation and for four months for sending malicious communications. Both sentences will be served concurrently.
