A MAN has been jailed for threatening his former partner after she took a screenshot of him holding an imitation gun.

Bolton Crown Court heard how 22-year-old Jordan Bayley became angry over access to his young son and made a series of threats to his ex-girlfriend in Bolton.

Julian Goode, prosecuting, told how the couple have a two-year-old son but the child’s mother ended the relationship when the baby was six- months-old due to Bayley’s unacceptable behaviour.

He said Bayley then pestered and harassed his former partner over seeing the child.

“She asserts that he was persistently aggressive and threatening,” said Mr Goode.

On August 29 last year Bayley contacted her via a FaceTime video call and told her: “If you don’t let me see my son I am going to blow your head off”.

Mr Goode said: “She managed to take a screenshot of the handset and that revealed the defendant holding, what appeared to be, a gun in his left hand.”

On September 6 Bayley screamed and shouted at the woman in a phone call, telling her: “I will stab you up. I will f***ing blow your dad up. I will blow his head off.”

The call was recorded and handed to police.

Further threats were made by Bayley over the following month including claims he would set fire to her parents’ home.

Bayley used different telephone numbers to call up to 25 times a day.

“He would fluctuate from direct threats of violence and name calling to emotional blackmail,” said Mr Goode.

When arrested by police Bayley was shown the picture of him holding the BB gun.

“He suggested it was child’s toy gun and he was simply having a laugh with the complainant,” said Mr Goode.

In a victim statement the woman said she now suffers from depression and fears for the safety of her family.

Bayley, of Richmond Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to harassment and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.

Robert Elias, defending, stated that Bayley was an immature young man.

“Although awful things were threatened, there was no actual violence at all,” he stressed.

He added that Bayley, a grounds worker, has now stopped binge drinking and using cocaine.

Judge Smith jailed Bayley for two years and two months and made a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim.

He told the defendant: “You may not have intended to carry out any of those threats, they may well reflect an immature approach to a difficult situation, fuelled by drugs and alcohol.

“However, not surprisingly, she took them seriously.”