Sunderland man jailed after threatening to slit his girlfriend's children's throats

Christopher McGowan, who has previous convictions for domestic violence, also issued a similar warning to his ex and her family before going on to slash the tyres on another woman's car.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when a neighbour made a complaint about noise, McGowan's response was to slash three of her car tyres with a knife.

Prosecutor Omar Ahmad told the court McGowan had been essentially living at his partner's home late last year (2024) after he became ill during a holiday to Turkey and would take drink and drugs such as Valium.

Mr Ahmad said one night after she had gone to bed McGowan sent her a voice note over WhatsApp warning he would burn her car and torch her house with her and her kids inside.

On another occasion he threatened: "I will slit your throat, I will slit the bairns' throats." And on a separate day, after the woman booked to stay in a hotel to get away from him for the night, he threatened to trash her mum and dad's house and burn her home down.

During another incident, when a female neighbour had asked for the noise to be kept down, McGowan left the house with a knife and used it to slash three of her car tyres.

Then, during a call to a former partner, McGowan warned he would "cut her throat and kill her" and do the same to her family members.

McGowan, 39, of Poplar Avenue, Houghton, Sunderland, admitted two charges of malicious communication, criminal damage, harassment and threatening to cause criminal damage.

Judge Julie Clemitson jailed him for two years and told him: "You represent a high risk towards current and former partners and members of their family."

Katie Spence, defending, said McGowan's "terrible relationship with alcohol" is behind the offences, which he is ashamed of and he has had an "awful time" in prison on remand.