A man who drove to his former partner's home with a kitchen knife on the front passenger seat of his car after threatening to kill her in a telephone call has been given a suspended prison sentence.

MARTLESHAM: A man who drove to his former partner's home with a kitchen knife on the front passenger seat of his car after threatening to kill her in a telephone call has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Matthew Osborn, 21, “hit the roof” after receiving a letter from the Child Support Agency asking him to pay more money to his former partner for their baby daughter.

Roger Thomson for Osborn said his client had been paying for his daughter and was upset that he wasn't being allowed access to her.

Osborn, of DeBrink-on-the-Green, Martlesham Heath admitted making a threat to kill, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage.

Matthew Butcher, prosecuting, told the court that Osborn and Samantha Bugg had been in a relationship until June this year and had a baby daughter.

On September 2 Osborn had been verbally abusive to Miss Bugg outside her home in Coopers Road, Martlesham Heath and had kicked her car causing more than �800 damage to the front wing and bonnet.

The police were called and while an officer was taking a statement from Miss Bugg, Osborn had telephoned her and threatened to kill her.

When Miss Bugg told him he would have the police after him he replied: “I don't care I've got nothing to lose now.”

Shortly afterwards Osborn had driven into Coopers Road at speed and after he was arrested a kitchen knife was found on the front passenger seat of his car.

Osborn told police that his anger that day had been triggered by a letter from the CSA.

He admitted making a threat to kill Miss Bugg but claimed he had taken the knife for his own protection and hadn't intended to use it on her.

Osborn was sentenced to a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

He was also banned from seeing Miss Bugg and his daughter apart from attending family court proceedings or by court order.

He was made the subject of an 18-month supervision order and ordered to pay �823 compensation to Miss Bugg for damage to her car.