Told his ex-partner he would ‘cave her head in’

James Clarke was high on a cocktail of drink and drugs when he arrived at the house and smashed the window on a door.

The 34-year-old, of Erskine Street, admitted threats to kill, possessing an offensive weapon in public and criminal damage.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard the offences were committed during contact with the woman on July 31 this year.

In a phone conversation he allegedly stated: “Nobody is going to help you this time, you’re going to die this time.”

The communication then switched to a FaceTime video call, where the victim saw Clarke holding a hammer.

According to the prosecution he informed her that “he was going to cave her head in with it”.

He was said to have demonstrated this by banging on a kitchen wall.

Later that night the woman heard a loud smash downstairs at her home in the Mersey Street area.

Clarke allegedly shouted at her: “I told you I would come.”

The woman, who was present with her two young daughters, discovered a door window had been smashed.

Police arrived and seized a hammer. During interview Clarke made full admissions.

Defence solicitor Paul Dougan confirmed his client “unequivocally accepted his culpability”. “He is a person who has battled with his own demons in terms of alcohol and drug addiction,” Mr Dougan said.

“He readily concedes that he was high on a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol on July 31, which led to this bout of offending.” Clarke also pleased guilty to damaging an electronic tag he was wearing.

District Judge Peter Magill told him the offences were unacceptable.

Imposing a six-month prison sentence, the judge added: “There were very serious matters, particularly when you made the most graphic threats to kill the mother of your children and then you went to her house and started to break into it with a hammer.”