Heartbroken Wearside man told his ex-girlfriend he planned to 'slash her tyres' with a screwdriver after they broke up

Terry Riley, 39, of Kirkstone Close, Houghton, turned up in his car close to the woman’s Hetton home with a screwdriver.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told she had been tipped off by one of his relatives that he was on his way and went out looking for him.

She located him in his motor, and he told her, “I was going to use this to slash your tyres”, but instead began sobbing.

Soon after, at around 11.30pm on Sunday, November 17, she received an offensive text message from Riley – leading her to call police.

Prosecutor Glenda Beck “She finds him in a vehicle near her home. He produced a screwdriver. She was not in fear of him because he was upset and crying.

“There were some packets of medication in the car. [The victim] then left the defendant in the vehicle and returned home.

“She didn’t believe that anything would happen because he has made threats of a similar nature previously.”

Riley then sent her the upsetting text, leading her to contact officers and for them to visit him at home.

Mrs Beck added: “The screwdriver was found. He was taken to Southwick police station but made no comment to questions put to him.”

Neil Hodgson, defending said: “He realises that he shouldn’t have done what he did do. It was a relationship for him that he thought was going somewhere.

“This was his first relationship that he has had that was going somewhere. He wanted the relationship to continue, she didn’t. He was heartbroken.

“It looks as though there has been no more incidents, this was three months ago. He accepts the relationship is at an end.”

The case against Riley, who pleaded guilty to persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance, was adjourned for pre-sentence reports to the same court on March 16.

He was granted bail on condition he does not communicate with the woman and does not enter Kirkdale Street, Hetton.