A man who assaulted his partner and threatened to burn down her mother's house has been released on bail by a judge.

Andi Kilgallon, who has previous for attempted arson, was remanded in custody by magistrates after he missed an appointment for a presentence report.

But after being told the 23-year-old shop fitter could not make it because of work commitments a judge granted him bail until he is sentenced by justices on Monday.

Jonathan Lewis, for Kilgallon, told Swindon Crown Court "The court depriving liberty is the greatest power it has, particularly for someone who is employed.

"This is a defendant in full time employment shop fitting. The court may have been frustrated: there is no need to take that frustration out on the defendant."

He said his client got the letter from probation on Friday April 1 and contacted them the following Monday top say he would be working away.

Judge Peter Blair QC agreed he should be granted bail and released him on condition he does not contact witnesses or go to Spindletree Court in Pinehurst.

Kilgallon, of St Margaret's Green, initially pleaded not guilty to assaulting the mother of his children on two occasions.

But he later changed his plea to admit the incidents in December 2014 and on Monday November 16 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening to cause criminal damage on the date last year.

Kilgallon was jailed for two-and-a-half years in 2012 after going berserk at a barbecue and threatening to torch a caravan filled with foreign students.

He launched a drunken attack on one of the Czech seasonal workers at a Bishopstone farm before saying ‘I’m going to get a can of petrol and fire them up’.

About four or five students locked themselves in the caravan but Kilgallon poured about three to five litres of the fuel around the vehicle.

Fearing he was going to set it alight they managed to get out and one of them got the petrol can from the defendant.

And last year he was put on a community order by the justices after letting his pet Staffy and her puppies starve.

When the RSPCA were called out by concerned neighbours they found the new mum and her two young pups were just skin and bones.

As well as the community order he was also banned from keeping animals for five years.