A CHARD man who breached his suspended sentence by threatening a former partner's new boyfriend has been spared jail.

Matthew Scriven, 22, of Chesterfield, Chard had been given the initial suspended sentence for an assault in 2016 in which jumped out of a hedge and attacked two teenaged boys.

He also escaped lawful custody the following day.

Having been put on a suspended sentence and warned to commit no further offences, in June and July last year, he sent a number of threatening messages.

Speaking for the prosecution, Patrick Mason told Taunton Crown Court on Tuesday (February 20) that Scriven had sent 16 such messages, which he described as 'frightening'.

"The messages were deeply unpleasant. He threatened to stab him and break in to the flat and all other manner of frightening messages," Mr Mason said.

Defending Nikki Coombe said Scriven had been engaging well with the probation service during his suspended sentence which was due to expire in a few months.

Sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst said: "Matthew Scriven, you are 22 and your daughter is due to be born in June. Do you think she will be proud of her father?

"You have got to get on top of your anger problem. Your behaviour toward your former partner's new boyfriend was juvenile, it is the sort of thing schoolchildren do."

Scriven was given an additional 75 hours of unpaid work to do on top of the hours left from his existing sentence. He was also ordered to pay £185 costs.

"You need to keep out of trouble," Judge Ticehurst said. "If you do not, you will probably end up in prison and not seeing your daughter."