A 21-YEAR-OLD man has been spared jail after he threatened to plunge a knife into his pregnant former partner’s stomach and watch as she died.

James Thomas Cosgrove, of Mayfair Road, Darlington, made the threat during one of hundreds of text messages to his former partner containing “various degrees of bile and spite”.

Blair Martin, prosecuting at Newton Ayciffe Magistrates’ Court, said the pair had been in a relationship for more than a year.

Mr Martin said the injured party described Cosgrove as controlling but said there had been no violence or threats of violence in the past.

He said: “When the relationship broke down the defendant couldn’t accept it.

“He took a knife and went into the street and threatened to kill someone. He threatened to harm himself and he did harm himself but only sustained minor injuries.”

Mr Martin said Cosgrove “bombarded”

the woman with more than 300 texts and picture messages, some of them showing him burning her belongings.

He described the content of the text messages as extremely serious and menacing towards the woman and her unborn child.

Jonathan Harley, mitigating, said the messages were sent in drink and Cosgrove, who was hopeful of finding construction work, understood the seriousness of his actions.

He said: “It wasn’t that he was going to carry out any of these threats, it was simply to elicit a response from her.”

Mr Harley said Cosgrove turned when he discovered that, two weeks into the relationship, she kissed another man while she was on holiday in Benidorm.

He said: “She didn’t apologise, she simply said their relationship was over.

“This is why, in his own words, he lost it.”

Magistrates did not impose a restraining order, at the victim’s request, because she said it would cause difficulties with access.

Cosgrove admitted harassment, between May 3 and 7.

He was given 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months with supervision, and ordered to pay £85 costs.