A MAN who entered his ex-girlfriend's Ipswich home in the early hours of the morning and threatened a work colleague who had walked her home from work with a kitchen knife has been jailed for 15 months.

A MAN who entered his ex-girlfriend's Ipswich home in the early hours of the morning and threatened a work colleague who had walked her home from work with a kitchen knife has been jailed for 15 months.

Joao Alves, 23, pointed the knife at Barry Fulcher and when his former partner Jane Cooper tried to fend him off Alves pushed her and slapped her across the face, Ipswich Crown Court heard

Alves, of Bramford Road, Ipswich, denied an offence of affray at Ms Cooper's home in Wherstead Road, Ipswich in July last year but was found guilty by a jury by a majority 10-2 verdict.

Alves was jailed for nine months for the affray with six months to run consecutively for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed in March last year for an offence of theft.

During the trial Peter Gair, prosecuting, said that on the night in question Mr Fulcher had walked Ms Cooper home from work and they were in her living room when Alves and walked into the house through the kitchen.

“He wasn't welcome,” said Mr Gair.

He claimed that Alves had taken a knife from the kitchen and held it towards Mr Fulcher and when Ms Cooper tried to intervene Alves pushed her away and slapped her face.

During the incident Mr Fulcher's T-shirt was ripped and after Alves left the police were called.

Alves claimed that at the time of the incident he had been with another woman and denied going to Ms Cooper's house and threatening Mr Fulcher with a knife or pushing and slapping Ms Cooper.

Cross-examined by Mr Gair he denied that he had been stalking Ms Cooper after their relationship finished and that he hadn't been happy at seeing a man going into her house.