Aggressive ex threatened to 'chop up' woman's alleged new man with machete

Ryan Hebdon warned the woman that all of her windows would be put out and said he would use a machete to "chop up" a man he believed she had started

seeing.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when the victim refused to answer his repeated attempts at phone contact, the 28-year-old warned her: "Talk to me on the phone or I will turn up at your door".

Hebdon, of Barnard Grove, Jarrow, South Tyneside, admitted harassing the woman between July 4 and July 7.

Prosecutor Angus Taylor told the court the woman had hung up the phone when Hebdon called her on July 4 from a blocked number.

Mr Taylor said: "She didn't wish to speak to him. She then received a further seven calls from that blocked number."

The court heard Hebdon continued the unwanted calls the following day.

Mr Taylor said: "She told him to stop ringing.

"She then went on to receive a further 26 calls from the blocked number, which she believes were made by this defendant.

"She then received approximately ten voice mail messages from this defendant, essentially asking her to ring him but the messages went on to become a bit more aggressive."

Mr Taylor said Hebdon called his victim a "little tramp" and was "slurred and difficult to understand" while issuing some of the threats.

She said in a victim impact statement: "I have done nothing to deserve this."

Hebdon, who was on a suspended sentence at the time, also admitted causing criminal damage to the woman's window and door, causing £350 worth of damage.

And he pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour and common assault after an unrelated stand-off outside the home of a rival's mum.

Mr recorder Ben Nolan QC sentenced Hebdon to 12 months behind bars and issued a restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

The judge told him: "You have very great difficulty in managing your temper and restraining your anger."

Christopher Sykes, defending, said Hebdon started to drink heavily after the sudden death of his father, which led to anger management issues and a struggle to manage his emotions.

Mr Sykes said Hebdon has found his time on remand to be a "godsend" as it has allowed him time to get away from drinking and realise he wants to be a "better person" when he gets out.