A MAN who breached a restraining order to attack his former partner, then threatened to burn down the house when police arrived, has been jailed.

Stephen Robus, 32, care of HMP Exeter, was already on a suspended sentence for battery against the victim when he returned to the Curry Rivel home on August 26.

Prosecuting at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, James Taghdissian said: "When she went to open the door, he barged through, grabbed her and she ran to the bedroom."

Mr Taghdissian said Robus then proceeded to follow her and continued to attack her, punching her on more than one occasion and pulling her by her hair into the hallway.

The victim managed to escape and run to a neighbour's who called the police, the court heard.

"When the police arrived Mr Robus claimed he had a jerry can of petrol and had doused the home in petrol and would set it alight if police came any further," Mr Taghdissian said.

Robus also said he had knives and dangerous dogs and trained negotiators had to talk him down, although it turned out all of his threats were unsubstantiated. He had not thrown petrol round the house, nor did he knives or a dangerous dog, the court heard.

Mr Taghdissian said the victim suffered a suspected fractured nose in the attack.

Defending, Patrick Mason said: "Mr Robus accepts that he acted entirely improperly toward both the victim and the police.

"He has a huge drinking problem. When he is not drinking he is reasonable and sensible. But he had been unemployed in a quiet village and boredom and depression had got the better of him and he'd started drinking again."

Sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst told Robus that if he continued to behave in this manner he would spend longer and longer locked up.

"On July 20 I gave you a suspended prison sentence and just over a month later you were committing similar crimes.

"There was a restraining order in place and you ignored it. You chose to drink to excess and you chose to assault her."

Robus's previous 16 month suspended sentence for battery was activated, while he was sentenced to six months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and a further six months for the breach of the restraining order.

He was also given a 12 month sentence for threatening to damage property, however Judge Ticehurst said this could run concurrently to the other sentences, meaning the total sentence was for 28 months imprisonment.