A WOMAN from Torfaen has spoken of her fear to leave the house after she was the victim of receiving threatening messages.

David Lathwell, of Trevethin, threatened Cassie Malson-Dixon, in March 2018 after he blamed her for breaking a window on his girlfriend’s car.

Miss Malson-Dixon recorded the call, where he said: "I am going to destroy you and your family.”

And now, Miss Malson-Dixon said that the experience has left her too afraid to go out.

"It is still devastating," she said. "My dad takes the dog for a walk every day, and I am just worried about what if something happens to him.

"I don’t go out anymore. This is the first time I have been to my nan’s in god knows how long, as he drinks at the pub which is right across the road.

"I can’t even take my dog out for a walk past it in case he is in there.

"If I am coming home from Pontypool I will go up and around rather than go past the pub in case he is in there.

"I have fallen out with friends and family over it.

"If someone is on the end of what I received, I can only advise them to keep their cool, and don’t react to it."

Miss Malson-Dixon said that although the court's verdict in April had been welcome, she felt that "frustrated and angry" over the ordeal.

"I was happy that something came of it," she said. "It has been going on for all this time.

"People shouldn’t have to deal with what I have had to deal with.

"We have had to get security cameras and letter box alarms. You shouldn’t have to live like this.

"He saw my dad out walking the dog and said that he was going to burn my car and burn the house down too.

"When he heard what he had said to me, my dad was so frustrated and angry. We all were.

"There is only so much that you can take."

In Cardiff Crown Court, Lathwell pleaded guilty to sending a threatening message under the Malicious Communications Act, and was sentenced to a 12-month community order and a six-week electronically tagged curfew of between 6pm and 6am.

He was also made subject of a five-year restraining order not to contact Miss Malson-Dixon and he must pay £200 towards prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

The court heard Miss Malson-Dixon’s car was later targeted in an arson attack.

Although Lathwell was initially charged in connection with that incident, there no evidence to suggest he was responsible for it and the prosecution dropped their case against him.