A knifeman who threatened to stab a motorist has had his suspended prison sentence activated over menacing messages to his former partner. 

Ronan Paden, 35, was sentenced to nine-months suspended for 18 months in July 2023 after he used a kitchen knife during an argument with a driver who had been involved in a crash with a woman.

That incident came just two weeks after he had received an earlier 12-week suspended sentence for harassment. 

READ MORE: Man threatened to stab motorist after crash outside his home

Norwich Crown Court was told he had breached both these suspended sentences when he sent his ex-partner and a friend whose home she was staying at a string of intimidating and threatening messages. 

Prosecutors she had been left terrified when he followed the phone calls on March 22 this year by visiting the property at Gurney Road in King's Lynn and shouting threats through the intercom including “you bunch of f****** rats”.

He had also menaced a neighbour while wearing a black balaclava, the court was told. 

Paden, of Tennyson Avenue, King’s Lynn, appeared in custody having previously pleaded guilty at Norwich Magistrate’s Court for sending offensive messages and assaulting a police officer during his arrest. 

Philip Farr, mitigating, said his actions were part of an ongoing dispute.

“He acknowledges his behaviour was not acceptable,” he added. 

Judge Alice Robinson said his messages had been unpleasant and his former partner had been left feeling unsafe in her own home. 

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Sentencing him to 27 weeks, made up of nine weeks plus a further 18 weeks of his suspended sentence to be served consecutively, she told him he had a history of “persistently breaching court orders” 

He will also serve a further 12 months on licence following his release.

The court was told he had 10 previous convictions for 18 offences including being jailed for actual bodily harm for fracturing the nose of another former partner in front of her young son when he repeatedly hit her with a metal hoover pole.