A paedophile was jailed for sexually abusing a teenage girl and then threatening to 'burn her house'.
Simon Fitzgerald, 29, of Whitford Road, Birkenhead, originally denied assaulting the victim, who was under 16 years old.
After initially denying the sexual abuse and being released, Fitzgerald then went to the victim's home and shouted through her window.
On another occasion, Fitzgerald was seen trying to get into the victim's house in the early hours, prosecutor Mark Kellet told Manchester Crown Court.
He was spotted again later, when the victim's mother found an empty petrol can outside her front door.
She believed it had been left as a 'warning' by Fitzgerald, who had threatened to 'burn her house' on Facebook, Mr Kellet said.
The victim was preparing to give evidence at a trial, but Fitzgerald eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court, the MEN reports.
He pleaded guilty on the first day of a scheduled trial to causing a child to engage in sexual activity and witness intimidation.
Fitzgerald, who has previous convictions for robbery and burglary, has been jailed for four years and eight months following the incident in Bury and a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order were also imposed.
The ECHO understands Fitzgerald is not able to be pictured because Greater Manchester Police were unable to provide an image of him.
Barrister Paul Treble said: "He did prevent the child from giving evidence, and the obvious trauma that would cause."
He said Fitzgerald had previous had 'difficulties' with drugs but was now clean and looking to the future and hopes to find work when he is released.
Saying Fitzgerald is 'sorry' for his actions, Mr Treble added: "He knows what he did is wrong."
While sentencing Fitzgerald, Judge Timothy Smith said: "She found outside her door a petrol canister,
"That goes back to threats that you had made on Facebook, threatening essentially to burn her house,
"It is right to say there was no petrol in the canister.
"But it is quite clear to me this was a threat made to her."
