A MAN who held his partner hostage in a four-hour armed siege at her Hampshire home has escaped an indefinite prison sentence after his victim told the court how much she loved him.

It was the second time in three years that David White had forced his way into partner Vanessa Davies' Fareham flat, yet despite his history of violence the judge in the case accepted White, 38, did not deserve to be locked up for good.

Instead the judge accepted that though White had armed himself with a four-inch kitchen knife and committed an almost identical siege, which was only ended by police negotiators, he only posed a threat to those he formed a relationship with.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how on May 20, just before midnight, White went round to Miss Davies' flat in Frosthole Close and used a fire extinguisher to batter his way through the block's entrance.

He then smashed his way into her flat still using the extinguisher as a battering ram, despite Miss Davies, her teenage daughter and a friend all leaning up against the door to stop him.

Once inside he then threatened the trio and jabbered at them nonsensically, frightening the daughter so much she called police.

When officers arrived, White brandished the weapon at Miss Davies' friend Elizabeth Downer, at one stage holding it to her throat.

He also threatened to stab any officer that entered in the neck or eye - two areas where their body armour does not protect them - and to knife his hostages.

However, the court heard that after four hours of negotiations, White eventually let all the women go unharmed and surrendered.

It was the second time White, of Fleet End Road in Warsash, had done this to Miss Davies, after also forcing his way into her home in 2004, for which he was jailed for four years.

Yet despite his violence towards her, yesterday Miss Davies told the court she still loved White and did not believe he ever intended to harm her.

Instead she fought back tears to describe how they had a volatile relationship, and that she often wound him up.

Asked by the judge whether she was being love-blind and whether Davies could kill her, she replied; "No, I don't think so. Dave's bark is worse than his bite."

Sentencing White, Judge Gareth Cowling told him the offence was so serious that an indeterminate sentence - in which an offender can only be released when a parole board agrees he is no longer a threat to the public - was on his mind.

He added: "The risk factor is clearly there and in my judgement the real risk is that when you, when you are in a relationship, adopt a controlling and violent manner.

"But, and not without a great deal of concern, I have decided that I don't need to pass an indefinite sentence."

Instead he jailed White for three concurrent four-year prison terms for false imprisonment, and two concurrent three-month terms for possession of a bladed article in public and criminal damage.