A man who threatened to cut the head off his pregnant ex-partner when he failed to come to terms with the end of their relationship has avoided prison.

John Gibson carried out a campaign of abuse and harassment after their short-lived relationship ended due to his erratic behaviour.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 36-year-old sent threatening messages in July last year before bombarding his ex-partner with phone calls and text messages during September and November.

Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, said Gibson left his former partner fearing for her safety and anxious about seeing him around Darlington.

She said: “After three months the defendant’s attitude changed and when she didn’t agree with him, he became argumentative.

“His behaviour became increasingly aggressive calling her a ‘fat b**** and slag’. When she ended the relationship, he wasn’t ready to accept this.

“She was pregnant at the time with their child.”

The court heard how Gibson’s behaviour became increasingly abusive, including threats to cut her head off and violently attack her.

Miss Marsay added: “He threatened to hit her with a baseball bat, tie her up and put her in his car boot.

“He told her he would come to her house and ‘stab your throat’.”

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was now taking medication as a result of the abuse she suffered at Gibson’s hands and was anxious whenever she left her home.

The court heard how the defendant had a previous conviction for a similar offence from more than a decade ago.

Gibson, of Craig Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to sending threatening messages on July 7, 2023; harassment between September 9 and November 4, 2023; and four charges of sending offensive messages from November 2 last year.

Vincent Ward, mitigating, said his client had experienced a difficult childhood having never known his biological parents and had lost his foster mother when she died in 2022.

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Get access for 3 months for just £3, or get 30% off an annual subscription with our latest offer. Click here.

He added: “It was clearly a nasty series of events; it must have been awful for the complainant.”

Recorder Aisha Wadoodi sentenced Gibson to six months in custody suspended for two years and issued him with an indefinite restraining order.

She added: “What you did was abusive, sending appalling threatening messages to a vulnerable pregnant woman.”

Gibson was also ordered to attend 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six-month mental health treatment program.