A domestic abuser who referred to himself as notorious killer Raoul Moat to terrify his partner has been jailed.
Eric Drinkald, 41, and the woman split after he hit her with a hoover attachment, curtain pole and his fists before he then bombarded her with calls and texts during a campaign of stalking.
This culminated in him threatening to smash her windows and burn her car on January 1 before comparing himself to Moat to instil fear.
Jane Foley, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court the woman had complained about Drinkald's abusive behaviour during the course of their relationship but had previously retracted statements to the police.
In November last year, they argued and she ended up asking him to leave. Drinkald, who had been drinking, began punching and slapping her.
Miss Foley said: 'He struck her with a curtain pole and hoover attachment and punched her to the stomach. He threw a can of Stella lager towards her which exploded on the floor.'
The woman sustained bruising and swelling to various parts of her body as a result of the assault. They split up but Drinkald repeatedly messaged and called her.
Miss Foley said: 'The contact was persistent and often abusive and threatening.'
'She describes being tortured with calls and texts. On New Year's Day he threatened to smash her windows and attack her home address, calling himself Raoul Moat and threatening to burn her car out.
'She was terrified for herself and her family. She feared she would suffer serious harm.'
In a victim impact statement, the woman said: 'This abuse has had a massive effect on my day-to-day life. I live in fear of him getting back in contact with me or approaching me.
'He has had other people watching me, based on previous threats he has made.. I've had to change my address in order to feel safe. I've had to move myself and my children, with massive upheaval, for all of us to make sure he doesn't know where I live.
'I'm scared he will come to my house when drunk and go to my parents' house as he has done before. I'm worried he will cause more distress to my parents and children.
'The fear he will contact me is always at the back of my mind and has caused my mental health to decline.'
Drinkald, of no fixed address, who has 69 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to stalking involving serious alarm or distress and battery. Recorder Andrew Latimer jailed him for two years and four months and imposed a five-year restraining order.
The judge said: 'On New Year's Day you threatened to smash her window, going to her house and referring to yourself as Raoul Moat, a name which is notorious locally and threatened to burn her car. I'm sure you did that intending she would fear you.'
David Callan, defending, said: 'He accepts his behaviour was absolutely appalling and he shows a degree of insight. He had lost his job prior to the offences and increased his use of alcohol.
'When asked to leave, he struggled to control his emotions. There was a degree of sexual jealousy, to quote Shakespeare: the green-eyed monster.
'He has said she is a good mother and didn't deserve to be assaulted by him and left fearing for her and her family's safety.'