A man made shocking threats to kill his ex-partner while on the phone to his grandmother, a court heard.

Jamie Christopher Hoare appeared in court after his grandma called the police concerned about threats he had made against his former partner Amber Hughes.

The defendant, of Cote Ley Crescent on Walney, admitted that he made menacing phone calls of an offensive nature when he faced South Cumbria Magistrates' Court.

In phone calls to his grandma Susan Logan he said: "I'm going to smash her up.

"I'm going to go for the jugular vein.

"l tell you, I'm going to kill her."

Prosecutor Rachel Dixon told the court the offence happened on September 6.

The court heard his grandma had told police her grandson seemed "angry" and "wound-up" on the phone when she was interviewed by officers and contacted authorities out of concern.

The defendant told police he was "drunk" on the day.

The court was told Hoare was last in court to be convicted of criminal damage and assault in 2018.

Hoare was represented in court by solicitor Trystan Roberts.

He said: "How many of us have said things in the heat of the moment that we bitterly regret?

"He had been having some disputes with his former partner about some of his property, which he had been trying to retrieve for some time.

"His grandmother is his support. He was simply venting.

"She has cared for him growing up and they have a very close relationship.

"She tells the police because she was worried about him and his mental health.

"There is no suggestion he was going to do any of this."

Mr Roberts said Hoare had seen his grandma since and will be spending Christmas with her.

"I ask you to see this in context. Most of the time when people say things like this it doesn't reach the court or the police station."

The court heard Hoare had recently sought support from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Magistrates sentenced Hoare to 80 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs of £85.

Chair of the bench Chris Harris said: "This was in a domestic violence situation.

"We have taken into account your guilty plea and your positive progress.

"However, we can't forget the impact it had on the victims in this case."