Ex jailed after bombarding former partner with 400 phone calls and threatening to petrol bomb her home

Jerraldo Collins aged 26, had an off/off relationship with his ex, with whom he has a baby son, after they met on Facebook.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court this week, Mr Christopher O'Gorman, prosecuting, said: "The first time police were called was on September 22 last year to the address they lived at in Worcester, regarding a number of offences that had happened over the previous few days. Collins had been aggressive towards Miss Donnelly and her family and he was removed from the address. After he left, he phoned her on many occasions - he had sent her around 200 texts and called 400 times.

"Miss Donnelly went with her mother to Cheltenham to avoid him, but that didn't stop him getting in contact via phone. They returned home and Collins moved back to the family's home. The police were called again because he was kicking the washing machine and becoming aggressive."

Then, in November last year, Collins was taken to A&E in Worcester after overdosing on Diazepam.

"He was under arrest at the time for further offences in relation to Miss Donnelly and her family," said Mr O'Gorman. "He became verbally abusive towards hospital staff and patients.

Treatment was then refused to Collins as staff struggled to control his temper."

Collins, of no fixed abode but who is based in Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening to destroy or damage property, one of malicious communications, another of arson with intent to endanger life, one of using threatening or abusive words and one charge of putting a person in fear of violence.

Mr O'Gorman continued: "On December 28, it had been arranged for Collins to go to Miss Donnelly's house to collect some clothes, along with a policeman.

"But after the officer left him, Collins returned to Miss Donnelly's where he stood outside, making a phone call while staring at the window. When he saw Miss Donnelly and her mother, he grinned at them, before running his finger across his throat in a threatening manner.

"In April this year, he sent texts to Miss Donnelly's mother, threatening to take her baby away, get her arrested and threatened violence.

"These went of from the middle of April up until the 23rd. He said that he would petrol bomb 'that yard', meaning the Donnelly's house, 'with my own son inside', and claimed he used to be in a gang."

Then, in August this year, the court heard that a friend of a friend of Collins let him stay at the house he was renting in Willenhall as a favour to their mutual friend. But he set fire to the sofabed before calling police from a payphone in Darlaston, about a mile away, telling them what he'd done and asking them to come and arrest him. They did so, and when they did he told them that 'the devil' told him to do it.

Defence solicitor Amanda Tomkins said: "It's clear to see that he has mental health issues and, from reports, it seems the key to him staying out of trouble is his medication.

Judge James Bearbridge told Collins: "You seem to have a disturbing interest in arson or threatening to set fire to things.

"Your behaviour should be a real concern for the authorities."