A JILTED lover who threatened on Facebook to shoot his ex-partner and burn her house down has been spared jail.

Stephen Robbins, 20, wrote he would put a bullet in her head after seeing her with a former boyfriend, a court heard.

Robbins after had a “rush of blood to the head” and posted four Facebook messages the same day including one threatening to burn her house down, Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard.

Crown prosecutor, Ceri Murphy, said the woman had been “in fear of her safety” as a result of his actions.

District Judge, Richard Williams, handed Robbins a 56-day sentence, suspended for a year, and 150 hours unpaid work.

He told him: “This case is serious and passes the custody threshold.

“You have no previous offences.

“In my judgment the custodial sentence can be suspended.”

Robbins, of Bron-y-De, Ebbw Vale, sent the Facebook messages in Ebbw Vale on July 24, the court heard.

The relationship had ended and Robbins had been left with “bad feelings” after that, the court heard.

Ms Murphy said the defendant knew the messages could scare her, adding it had been done deliberately because he knew she would take it seriously.

His solicitor, Ralph Evans, acknowledged his client had been “jealous” but stressed he neither had the intention nor the ability to carry out the threats in the messages.

He told the court: “He realises in hindsight he was very foolish.

“This was a rush of blood to the head on that day.

“He accepts the relationship is totally finished.”

Robbins admitted one count of sending electronic communications, which convey a threat for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety under section 1 (1) (a) of the Malicious Communications Act.

Judge Williams also imposed a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex girlfriend, going where she lives and work and entering any data onto digital networks making reference to her.

He warned him that breaching the order would trigger the suspended sentence and ordered him to pay an £80 surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.