Anthony Williams had gone round to his former partner's address in Guide Post on July 16 at 9pm in an attempt to spend time with his sons.

But South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court heard that when he was refused entry, Williams started punching the windows of two doors, damaging them in the process.

Helen Harrison, prosecuting, said Williams and his partner had separated in January after eight years together due to his drinking.

On the night in question, Williams had gone round to try and see his two sons but after initially being refused entry, he got in via a side door.

Ms Harrison said that Williams spent ten minutes pleading to spend time with his sons but was becoming more and more agitated.

Concerned he would lose his temper, his former partner asked him to leave which he did, but after riding about 20 yards away on his bike, he turned around and returned to the house.

Noticing this, his former partner locked all the doors and could hear him punching the door and windows.

Fearing for her safety, she pressed a panic alarm fitted in the house but when that failed, she rang the police on a mobile phone and they turned up a short while later and arrested Williams.

Williams, 41, of Church Avenue, West Sleekburn, pleaded guilty to damaging two doors belonging to Wansbeck District Council.

Angus Taylor, defending, said Williams suffered from problems caused by post traumatic stress after a stint serving with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Mr Taylor said Williams had been in South Armagh, Northern Ireland, when he was first on scene following an explosion, only to find a
female RUC Constable who had been killed.

"That is the bottom line," said Mr Taylor.

"That is the position. He tried to deal with it coming into civil life."

He added that on the day in question, Williams had been in the area and decided to go and see his children and there was no threat of physical harm to anyone.

Williams avoided having a suspended 12-month prison sentence imposed on him from last year following an unproved attack on a 60-year-old woman in a car park where he strangled her.

Magistrates said they were sympathetic to his mental health problems and ordered him to pay £100 compensation for the six broken panes of glass and to pay costs of £43.