A KNIFEMAN who followed his former partner through Bolton streets, threatening her with a knife, has been jailed for 12 months.

Callum Hope lay in wait for Katie Matthews until she left work just before 7pm on February 1 and verbally abused her before kicking her in the hip, causing her to fall backwards.

Bolton Crown Court heard how, as she walked towards the bus interchange, he followed her, pulling out a knife.

"He made stabbing actions towards Miss Matthews' body multiple times," said Daniel Calder, prosecuting.

She managed to lose Hope, but he caught up with her at the interchange.

Mr Calder told how he ran towards her, punching her in the face and blackening her eye.

She managed to get on the bus, but Hope also boarded, sitting near her and, throughout the journey, repeatedly stabbed the empty seat next to him.

"He told her to get off the bus, threatening to stab her if she didn't," said Mr Calder.

But Miss Matthews stayed on the bus until her usual stop and fled to the safety of her mother's home.

Just four days later Hope was outside Miss Matthews' workplace again, shouting, issuing threats and sending a series of text messages.

One message stated: "If you ever ring the police I'll burn you out."

Half an hour later, at 2pm, plain clothes police officers spotted Hope pushing an off-road motorbike near Bolton Parish Church.

When they searched him they discovered a knife with a five inch blade, a bag of cannabis bush, worth £75, and some scales.

In a statement read out in court Miss Matthews said: "I am petrified of him and terrified of what he might do next."

Hope, aged 26, of Old Lane, Little Hulton, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm, possessing a knife, making threats with a knife, harassment and possessing cannabis.

The court heard that he has 10 previous convictions for 13 offences, including assaulting Miss Matthews in 2013.

Sarah Cook, defending, said Hope, a father-of-one, had become involved in an argument with Miss Matthews in a series of text messages.

"He let his emotions get the better of him," she said.

Judge Richard Gioserano jailed Hope for 12 months and made a restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Williams for five years.

He told Hope that the court takes people threatening victims not to call police very seriously.

"People cannot go around threatening victims if they have the courage to call police," he said.