A man who threatened his partner’s ex-boyfriend with a baseball bat and told him he would “rip his head off’ has been jailed.

Matthew Cheney, aged 35, of Argyle Avenue in Aylesbury, was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison at Amersham Law Courts yesterday (Thursday) after he was found guilty of harassment.

The court heard how in April 2020, Cheney had threatened and harassed his victim, Barry Allen, on three separate occasions.

On April 13, the court heard how Mr Allen had visited the property where Cheney and his partner lived. Driving away, the victim noticed Cheney was following him in his black Audi and appeared to be driving at speed and attempting to overtake.

When Cheney pulled up alongside his victim, he brandished a baseball bat in a “threatening manner”. Mr Allen called 999 and started driving to Aylesbury Police Station, and after some time Cheney drove off.

Three days later, the court heard how Mr Allen received a call from a withheld number. When a colleague answered the phone on his behalf, Cheney was on the line, and started making threats to his victim.

Reading out what Cheney had said on the call, the prosecutor said: “I am going to f***ing smash your face when I get hold of you, do you realise what I am going to do with you?

“I’m going to your house when you finish work, I’m going to wait on your sofa, I’m going to rip your f***ing head off you f***ing c***.”

The following day, the prosecutor explained that Cheney was following Mr Allen in his car again. When they both stopped at a red light, Cheney got out of his car and started walking over to the victim’s car.

Fearing for his safety, Mr Allen drove through the red light and called the police. Cheney was later arrested on May 3.

A victim impact statement from Mr Allen was read out to the court, where he said Cheney’s harassment made him feel “stressed and targeted” and that was having trouble sleeping.

The court also heard how Cheney had a history of offending, with 29 previous convictions, including criminal damage, harassment, breaching community orders and battery.

Cheney’s defence during the summary trial had been that there was a “background” between him and the victim linked to his partner, and that previous problems with Mr Allen had led him to call the police on at least three occasions.

Sentencing, judge Thomas Rochford said: ”You have a bad record of previous convictions, at the age of 35 you have had ample opportunity to learn to handle and manage yourself.

“You’ve been here before and had help before.

“I consider there to be high culpability and high blameworthiness; you have a sustained pattern of offending.”

As well as sentencing Cheney to 50 weeks in prison, the judge also issued him with a 10-year restraining order.