A MAN who held a woman hostage in a knifepoint siege has been jailed for a total of three years.

Stephen Foster, 32, of Walker Drive, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, held Zoe Burnett in his flat for up to two hours while police outside pleaded with him to give himself up.

Teesside Crown Court heard that at one stage Foster claimed he had a gun.

Peter Johnson, prosecuting, said the defendant was a friend of Miss Burnett's brother and claimed she owed him money.

On April 11, last year, Foster, who had been drinking strong lager, took Miss Burnett back to his flat having told her he was carrying a knife.

Miss Burnett ran to a window to shout to a passer-by to call the police, but Foster grabbed her and began waving the 11in kitchen knife in front of her face, claiming he would not let her out alive.

Police with riot shields were called, forced entry into the flat and arrested him.

Foster claimed Miss Burnett had taken money and keys off him and he had locked her in his house in order to get them back.

A few months prior to the incident, he had been given a rehabilitation order by magistrates after calling 999 and telling police he was in possession of a gun and knives and would kill his ex-girlfriend.

Rod Hunt, for Foster, who admitted charges of false imprisonment, affray and possession of an offensive weap-on, said that his client had a history of contact with mental health services and suffered a personality disorder when he drank excessively.

Having been held in custody, he was now on suicide watch, said Mr Hunt.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Peter Fox said he had caused terror in his victim and was a considerable risk to the public.