Preston man in court after threatening on Snapchat to petrol bomb home of ex after she broke up with him

Martin Smith was said to have posted a message on social media warning he would burn the woman’s home down after the break-up of their relationship.

The 31-year-old admitted making the threat on Snapchat and was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

Smith, of Shakespeare Road, Ribbleton was made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from making contact with his former girlfriend for the next five years.

He was also fined £1,500 with £300 court costs after the hearing at the city’s Crown Court.

Judge Simon Medland KC told him his behaviour had been “unacceptable, corrosive and boorish.”

Paul Cummings, prosecuting, told the court that Smith and the woman had been in a relationship for around 13 years and had two children together.

In March 2023 Smith had been staying on a caravan park near Preston and, despite having parted at that stage, the woman agreed to take the children there for an overnight stay.

They went to the onsite clubhouse where Smith said to be “very drunk.” He shouted threats at her and told her she was “lucky the children are with you.”

Later, as they argued at the caravan, he grabbed a knife and lunged towards her, but fortunately he did not connect. When she asked to go outside for a cigarette he locked her out.

The court was then told Smith made further threats to harm the children and to kill her during the course of the evening. When he eventually went to bed he took the knife with him. The following morning he apologised for his behaviour.

On another occasion he arrived at her address at about 4.30pm and “appeared to be drunk.” He said he wanted to remove his property from the house and, while he was doing that, he snatched two iPads which belonged to the children.

When his ex-partner got into her car Smith climbed onto the bonnet and demanded he should be allowed to kiss the children before they left. She agreed but, as she was driving away, he continued to make threats and “sliced his finger across his throat in a threatening manner.”

In a victim statement read out to the court, the woman said the incidents had made her feel “very anxious, scared to be in my own home and too scared to sleep in case he breaks in.”

She was taking medication and was scared to go out with her friends because he lived close by.

She said Smith had put a message on Snapchat and also messaged her sister “saying he was going to come round and petrol bomb the house.”

Richard Haworth, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and the case was “a spectacular fall from grace for this man.”

His behaviour had been out of character and down to drink. He had now stopped drinking apart from having a Friday night out and was keen to get his life back on track.

Judge Medland told Smith: “There are several disturbing features here. This was completely unacceptable, corrosive and boorish behaviour. You had no right to do this to your ex-partner.

“This court condemns such behaviour. All of these offences cross the custody threshold. They are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment could be imposed. But I am going to give you one chance.”

As part of the suspended sentence Smith was also ordered to take part in a Building Better Relationships Programme.