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A jealous man armed with an axe and knife paid a chilling dead-of-night visit to an ex-girlfriend he was banned from contacting.

Ian Davidson, 31, had been slapped with an indefinite restraining order last April for assaults on former partner Scarlett Nicholson.

But during May this year, while high on alcohol and drugs, Davidson travelled to her Cleator Moor home in a car he stole.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how he entered Miss Nicholson's home at 3-30am through a window - with an axe he dropped and a knife - while she was sleeping.

She woke and saw Davidson, who asked for her phone.

"That feature of obsessive jealously seems to have permeated this matter and historical matters," said prosecutor Michael Maher.

Davidson appeared "quite calm", and asked her to go downstairs to talk. As Miss Nicholson squeezed past him she was cut to the torso by a knife he was carrying.

She ran for the front door, but Davidson grabbed and pulled her on to a sofa before leaving. Miss Nicholson - left "petrified" and "angry" - was later sent almost 50 messages by her ex on social media.

Describing Davidson's offending, Mr Maher spoke of the "sheer sustained nature of his campaign against this complainant".

Ian Hudson, defending, said Davidson, of Ehen Road, Cleator Moor, had a "long-term cocaine and alcohol problem".

He was seeking mental health help in custody, and had shown "some insight into the damage he had done".

Davidson admitted twice breaching his restraining order, assault, aggravated vehicle taking and possessing two bladed articles.

He was jailed for three years by Judge James Adkin. "I would suggest that on release you are housed away from Cleator Moor," said the judge. "In my judgement the risk you present in the community needs to be carefully managed."