Convicted killer Matthew Stubbs has been cleared of threatening to stab a betting shop manageress and intimidating her after the charge was brought.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court found Stubbs not guilty of threatening behaviour and criminal damage at William Hill bookmaker, Manchester Road, Bradford, on August 10 last year.

He was also cleared of witness intimidation in William Hill, John Street, Bradford city centre, on March 6 this year.

Judge Roger Scott directed the jury to acquit Stubbs of affray on August 10.

Stubbs admitted losing his temper with the bookmaker when manageress Melanie Nicholson was working alone at 8.50pm.

But he insisted all he wanted was his £38 winnings which Mrs Nicholson refused to hand over.

He said he did not have a knife with him and denied threatening to stab, cut or slice Mrs Nicholson.

Stubbs, 30, told the jury he had previously been jailed for four years for manslaughter.

Stubbs said he became flustered in the betting shop and might have slapped a gaming machine after a losing streak.

He said Mrs Nicholson accused him of swearing at her but his annoyance was directed at the machine.

When his luck changed and she refused to pay him his winnings, he lost his temper.

He put his hand under the security screen to show the camera his winning ticket.

"She wound me up sufficiently to make me agitated and irate," he said.

Stubbs said that after Mrs Nicholson called the police he waited at the shop because he had nothing to hide.

Silent CCTV footage was shown of Stubbs, in a striped top, angrily brandishing his winning ticket.

At the close of the prosecution case, Judge Roger Scott ruled that Stubbs was not guilty of affray.