AN electrician who threatened to stab his ex's new partner in an 'awful' text was told by a judge she was 'a free agent' and could do as she pleased.

Lee Kane admitted sending a malicious text message to his ex-partner and mother of his children, Natalie Southall, threatening to stab the man he thought was her new partner.

The 37-year-old of Worcester Road, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to sending the text message on October 11 last year and to a bail act offence when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.

The offence also placed him in breach of an eight month suspended sentence for possession of a class B drug (cannabis) with intent to supply which was imposed last April.

Miss Southall told police she did not think the message he had sent her was acceptable but did not wish for the court to impose a restraining order, a decision which the judge said did her 'considerable credit'.

Nathaniel Wade, defending, said: "It was the end of a six year relationship and not a happy end. It was an angry one."

Mr Wade said Kane ran a football team which was competing in the Worcester County Cup this Sunday and added: "He's more than the person portrayed in those messages. They are horrible messages but they are high emotion rather than serious threats of violence."

Judge Nicolas Cartwright said Kane had committed the offence 'quite deliberately' during the currency of a suspended sentence.

He imposed a community order for the fresh offence and decided not to activate the suspended sentence orders.

He added: "None of that makes what you did last autumn less serious than it is. You sent this awful text message to your ex-partner, threatening to stab someone you thought was her new boyfriend. It doesn't matter whether they were or weren't.

"It is the message you sent to her that is the serious element of the offence.

"You deliberately typed out that text message. You could see what you were typing. You did send it.

"It was intended to be taken seriously. You directed your anger at a man you didn't know who, even if your suspicions were right, had done nothing to you. Just because he wants to form a relationship with your ex doesn't mean he's done anything wrong to you. He's a free agent and so is she.

"However upset you were, you weren't justified in making threats towards him or sending them to her."

The community order will last 12 months and will include 50 hours of unpaid work. He was fined £50 for the bail act offence and ordered to pay £200 costs.