A man dumped by his girlfriend, later threatened to kill her, Winchester Crown Court was told this week.

Shane White (20), from Fox Lane, Stanmore, who denies possessing an offensive weapon and causing actual bodily harm, had had difficulty accepting that his relationship with Laura Jobson was over, the court heard.

Prosecuting, Peter Glenser said the pair met while working at Tesco in Winnall in late 2003 and began a relationship. But it had turned "volatile", prompting 21-year-old Miss Jobson, of Compton, to end it, in August, 2004. But, said Mr Glenser, the couple kept in touch, because Miss Jobson thought that she could sort out White's problems.

Mr Glenser said that, on September 10th, Miss Jobson had been on a date with her new boyfriend, Tim Clark, at the Bridge Hotel, Shawford, when White arrived unannounced and stayed until closing time having drank between three or four pints, despite her asking him to leave.

The group parted, but minutes after Mr Clark had dropped her by car at her family home at Shepherds Lane, Compton, where her parents were asleep upstairs, she realised White was at her front door.

Miss Jobson, giving evidence, said that White, who was by now very agitated, had asked if he could sleep in the garden shed, but she refused. He then pulled out a corkscrew/knife, opening it and demanded she go with him for a walk so they could chat.

She described how White had led her to a field near her house, wielding the weapon. "He started getting aggressive and waving the knife around and saying he wanted to kill me. I didn't know what to do. Then he said he wanted to kill himself and eventually he sat down."

Miss Jobson said White pretended to slit his throat, but when she went to see what had happened he sat up and punched her, causing her lip to bleed. "I didn't see it coming. I fell back on the ground and banged my head."

Proceeding