A manipulative man who held a knife to his throat so his former partner would have to explain to their unborn child what happened to his dad has been spared jail.
Ricky Elliot also smashed windows at the heavily pregnant woman’s home using a pogo stick.
Although the 27-year-old faced a minimum six months as he had a previous knife conviction a judge at Swindon Crown Court suspended the sentence.
Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said the Marlborough man had gone to the house on Field View, Chippenham, on the morning of Friday April 19.
A day or so earlier he said the eight months’ pregnant woman had ended the relationship and had left his stuff outside for him to take.
But he started to make a nuisance of himself and the police were called, only for him to return in the evening.
“At 5.15pm he was outside the flat shouting and hollering and throwing things through the windows,” said the prosecuting barrister.
“He threw a pole through a kitchen window and bathroom window, breaking them. It seems at one stage he used a pogo stick to break one of them.
“The police arrived: he was shirtless and holding a kitchen knife to his neck, pacing up and down shouting angrily.”
At first he would not talk to the officers called to the scene but once he realised they had their tasers he became compliant.
When he was questioned Mr Meeke said “In the glorious way of domestic violence he appeared to blame her.
“She knew how to get a reaction out of him and had been malicious to him which had caused him to cause the damage.
“He said he wouldn’t hit woman but she needed to learn that he would not take that sort of behaviour and he would ruin her house.
“He picked up a knife intending to use it on himself and wanted her to watch while he cut his own throat.”
Elliot, of Purlyn Acre, Marlborough, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and possessing a bladed article.
Richard Williams, defending, said while his client fell foul of the minimum six months for the knife the other offence took place when he was just 14.
He was upset as he feared he may not be the father of the child and now accepted the relationship was over.
Mr Williams said the birth of a man’s first child often changes him and his client said he wanted contact with the baby, but not the mother.
Passing sentence Judge Peter Crabtree said “Your behaviour was controlling, or intended to be, and highly manipulative.
“You also told the interviewing officer that you would not hit a woman but she needed to learn that you would not take this and would run her house.
“Your intention to kill yourself so she would have to tell her unborn baby why his or her father had died: indeed it was his. She was plainly fearful enough to call the police.”
He imposed a six month suspended sentence, noting he had done the equivalent of three months on remand, with a building better relationships programme.