A WOMAN was forced to flee her property after her then partner threatened to douse himself in petrol and set himself alight, taking her with him in a “terrifying” incident.

Trevor Garner, 56, of Howarth Crescent, Swain House, appeared before Bradford Crown Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to a charge of making threats to kill in June this year.

Prosecutor Eddison Flint said Garner, who was intoxicated following a funeral, went to the address of his then partner on the evening of June 26.

The court heard Garner was being argumentative, so the woman went to her bedroom and locked herself away to avoid trouble.

Garner then went upstairs and asked for some clothes and the woman threw them out on to the landing.

He went downstairs and found a petrol jerry can before going back upstairs, banging on the woman’s bedroom door with the can and shouting “Why don’t you get back with your ex-husband, I know you’re having an affair with people at work”.

When the woman did not respond, he started texting her and threatened to douse himself in petrol and light himself in the back garden.

He then said he was going to do it in the living room, adding “we’ll go together”.

The woman managed to flee the house in distress and called the police, who attended the house and found him shirtless in the front room, with the jerry can, saying he was going to set himself and the property on fire. He later complied with officers and was arrested.

The court heard the victim was left “petrified and scared” by what had happened.

Ash Khullar, for Garner, said while he had previous convictions, he had never been subject to a custodial sentence.

He said he had indicated he felt “awful” about the incident and had entered an early guilty plea. The court heard his alcohol use had played a significant role in his offending.

Judge David Hatton said Garner was in a state of “considerable drunkenness” and the argument with the woman caused her to fear enough to lock herself in the bedroom.

He added: “But thereafter you engaged in conduct which can only have been terrifying for her and which was horrendously dangerous. Obtaining petrol and threatening to use it to cause damage and danger.”

Judge Hatton granted Garner a one third deduction off his sentence for his guilty plea, taking it to 20 months, but said he did not believe it could be suspended.