Sinister stalker rang his ex revving up a chainsaw and warned it was 'coming through the door' during four-month campaign of terror

Jonathon Nolan refused to leave his former girlfriend alone after they split and even ignored a solicitor’s letter telling him to stay away.

The 32-year-old's behaviour left the victim with heart palpitations, "constantly on edge" and "terrified because he is so unpredictable."

Newcastle Crown Court heard Nolan had warned he was "coming to your house with a chainsaw, it's coming through the door" and rang her while revving a chainsaw and repeating the threat.

Prosecutor Glenn Gatland said the former couple had split up three years ago, after a seven-year relationship.

He told the court: "After the separation she got unwanted messages and calls from him. She would reply to keep him away because she was scared if she didn't he would come to her home.

"She has reported incidents to the police in the past and in May last year had a solicitor's letter telling him to keep away."

The court heard the victim was at the Sunderland Air Show last year with her new partner when Nolan sent threatening text messages saying he would turn up at her home and assault him.

Then, on August 4, he carried out the threat.

Mr Gatland said: "The defendant walked into their house uninvited, pushed her across the kitchen and she landed between the table and fridge.

"He punched the man to the floor and jumped up and down on his head."

Nolan was bombarding the woman with messages on a daily basis, up to 50 a day.

He told her "I'm coming to your house with a chainsaw, it's coming through the door" and sent pictures of a chainsaw, causing her to panic.

Then, on October 29, he phoned her and she heard the sound of a revving chainsaw and he said it was coming through her door.

He also went outside her sister's home and started revving his car engine.

The next day, the woman was driving her car and Mr Gatland said: "She had to take action to avoid the defendant's car, which was driven towards them."

Nolan was arrested that day and a chainsaw was found at his home and seized.

He denied harassing the woman, blamed her and he was released on bail.

On December 12, he saw the victim and shouted: "Watch what happens when I get my chainsaw back."

The woman said in a victim impact statement: "I would like to say I'm living in fear because of him.

"When I hear loud noises I panic it's him, I feel constantly on edge and get heart palpitations because of it.

"I set a personal ring tone for him and I'm tense and terrified when it rings.

"When I saw him my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest, it was beating so fast. I felt so terrified because he is so unpredictable I don't know what he will do.

"The fear I feel when I see him, I feel like my whole body has collapsed in on itself.

"Since this, I never walk anywhere because I'm scared I will see him."

Nolan, of Laygate Place, South Shields, pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress but has been released on a two year community order due to he fact he has spent six months in prison on remand.

He has been given a lifelong restraining order to keep him away from the victim.

Judge Christopher Prince told him: "You have spent six months in prison and that's your first experience of prison and I trust it's an experience you won't want to repeat but if you commit any offences such as this again, you will experience custody again.

"Over a period from August 2019 until December 2019, you pursued a course of conduct causing serious alarm or distress."

Judge Prince said such offending would usually be met with a custodial sentence but, given the time he has already done in prison, concluded: "The best way to protect the public in the long run is to make you subject to a community order."

Vic Laffey, defending, made no representations after the judge indicated he was going to impose a community order.

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