Man phoned ex from prison and threatened to 'kill and chop her up'

Steven Leggat also told a police officer he was going to “kill her kids” if he was not locked up, Preston Crown Court was told.

Victim Emma Whiteside was left terrified by the threats - and felt guilty she had brought Leggat into her children’s lives.

Leggat, who pleaded guilty to two offences of making threats to kill, is now starting a four-year jail sentence.

Judge Mark Brown, Recorder of Preston, also imposed a three-year extended licence on the 38-year-old.

When he was sentenced via a video link, he wore a sweatshirt with the logo ‘Twisted Soul’.

David Clark, prosecuting, said Miss Whiteside, had been in an on-off relationship with Leggat since 2017, when he called her from prison, after being arrested for an altercation with a neighbour.

He told her his new partner was pregnant, to which she wished him well, the court heard.

But in a second call he became agitated and said: “I will kill you and chop you up”, before she hung up.

Mr Clark said she contacted the prison, as she was so scared, to have their number blocked, and also informed the police.

Leggat was arrested and required an appropriate adult before he could be questioned, the court heard.

Beverley Stansfield, who was assigned to his case, undertook a consultation before the interview, Mr Clark added, where he repeated his threats to kill her, and her children.

“He said ‘They had better lock me up for a long time’”, Mr Clark told the court.

The court heard he claimed he had been hearing voices, around the time of the incidents.

Leggat had a number of previous convictions, including making threats to kill, carrying out a bomb hoax and battery.

Anam Khan, defending, said her client had been honest with police because he had been seeking help for some of the thoughts he had been having.

“Mr Leggat has since expressed his remorse for his actions,” she added.

Miss Khan said he had experienced abuse during his childhood, which triggered his mental health problems.