A man who made chilling threats to his ex and about her children while drunk after their relationship broke down has been jailed for two years.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how Lawrence Coulthard had been jailed June for assaulting Laura Byrne and damaging property after 17 months together. He was handed a restraining order which banned him from contacting her for two years.

But on September 1 and overnight October 9 and 10, Coulthard, 37, flouted the order while drunk.

On the first occasion, he kicked the front door of her Wigton home and broke two windows with a brick as she barricaded herself into a bedroom with her young son and daughter.

He was arrested and bailed. But in early October he rang Ms Byrne repeatedly around midnight, telling her: "I'm going to come around and smash all your windows in again, and run your kids over."

He then sent a text which stated: "Ring police on me, you'll get it big time."

Coulthard, of Brackenlands, Wigton, admitted two restraining order breaches, intimidation, damaging property, and twice making damage threats.

Judge Peter Davies jailed Coulthard - who was described as being "very sorry" for his criminal conduct - and extended the restraining order length from two years to 10.

Judge Davies said of the offending: "It's nasty. It's menacing. It's horrific."