Hartlepool man threatened to kill and torch house of former neighbours in feud

David Peterson, 51, made a series of violent threats to the married couple on six separate occasions despite being banned from making any contact with them due to a restraining order.

On one occasion he made a gun gesture to the woman who said she lived ‘in constant fear’ of Peterson.

Describing the incident on April 17 last year, prosecutor Stephen Duffield told Teesside Crown Court: “She was on York Road and saw him make a gun gesture towards the temple of his head then towards her.”

On seeing the husband in the street on another occasion Peterson said: “I’m going to kill you. Your’e dead,” before walking off.

He also said to the woman he would ‘rip her eyes out’.

Peterson, who used to live in the same street as the victims, threatened to kill them again after bumping into the couple when they were out together.

He also said he would stab them and appeared to reach behind his back for something in the waistband of his trousers.

In a victim personal statement read in court the woman said: “I would like to say I’m terrified of this male. I genuinely felt my husband and I were going to be hurt after we were threatened to be stabbed.

“I’m in constant fear whether I’m in my own home or in town.”

Peterson pleaded guilty to two charges of making threats to kill and six charges of breaching a restraining order between April and July 2019.

He also admitted a charge of sending an offensive electronic communication when he left more than 18 voicemail messages to a housing company worker after Peterson had his electric cut off last February.

Andrew Turton, defending Peterson, of Brafferton Street, Hartlepool, said about the threats to the couple: “He accepts he lost control of his emotions on occasions.

"He’s extremely contrite.”

Judge Peter Armstrong told Peterson the threats “must have been extremely frightening” and sentenced him to 16 months prison suspended for two years.