A JEALOUS teenager used a machete to hack down the door of his former partner when she began seeing another man, a court heard.

Daniel Hill, 19, used the 16in blade to smash through the plastic front door and confront the woman at her home in June, but dropped the weapon when he saw her standing just feet away.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard Hill, of Willow Road East, Darlington, ran away and later suffered a panic attack, with police arresting him in the back of an ambulance.

John Garside, prosecuting, said the woman was at home with the other man when Hill arrived and started banging on her door.

He said: “She could see he had a machete and the door’s centre was knocked out, but he then dropped the knife and left.

“The attack caused more than £1,100 worth of damage.”

Choi Cheng, mitigating, said Hill, who pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in public and criminal damage, was extremely remorseful.

He said: “He can’t work out why he did it, perhaps it was through immaturity or jealousy, but he knows he lost control of his emotions.

“He snapped out of it when he realised what had happened and had a panic attack.

“It was an immature act which has made him grow up quickly and he apologises to the woman for putting her through this frightening experience.”

Magistrates gave Hill a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and issued him with a 12-month supervision order.

He was also told to pay £280 compensation to the woman, with magistrates ordering the destruction of the machete.