A 'JEALOUS' man who assaulted and threatened to 'stab up' a woman he moved in with after they met on a dating website has been spared jail.

Leon Cole, 42, who has a history of violence, was on bail for twice assaulting the mum when he embarked on a campaign of harassment and issued the threat.

But after hearing Cole, a burly six-footer, was sorry for what he had done and moved on and away a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the couple got together in early 2014 after meeting on the Plenty Of Fish website.

Initially the relationship was good, he said, and the defendant started to stay at her Nythe home.

"Thereafter he started to become controlling and jealous and check up on her. He started accusing her of seeing other people," he said.

"He was interfering when she went out. She ran a hairdressing business from home: interfering with that. Demanding, domineering and interfering behaviour."

When she finally told him to leave last summer he said he had nowhere to go and managed to work his way back into her affections.

But in August she again told him to pack his bags and after threatening to drag her from the car by her hair they got home and he head butted her.

A few days later he was back at the door saying he had nowhere to go and she let him back in, but he again attacked her grabbing her by the throat and pushing her so she hit her head.

She reported the matter to the police and while he was on bail after being questioned he sent messages by phone and Facebook.

"Some just personally offensive and deliberately sexually offensive towards her," Mr Meeke said.

"Then a number saying he was going to stab her up and other threats of violence. There were 19 voice mails recorded of him ranting and raving at her."

Cole, of Slough, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and one of putting her in fear of violence through harassment.

At the time of the offending he was on a conditional discharge for sending a former partner's mum an indecent image.

Thomas Kalber, defending, said his client has spent time in custody on remand and during that period his father, who had been ill, died.

He is on medication for stress brought on by his father's ill health and death which prevented him working as a forklift driver.

He said he now has a new partner and would not object to a restraining order being imposed.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "Over a period of three days last August you assaulted your then partner violently.

"You on one occasion put your hands round her neck and she struck her head on a towel rail.

"These two assaults are serious offences in themselves but it didn't stop there because after you were arrested and bailed you embarked in that campaign or harassment as has been described to me."

He imposed an eight-month jail term suspended for two years with supervision and a 10-year restraining order.