Mr Kelly said the 37-year-old defendant attended the victim’s address and made ‘significant upsetting and distressing threats’ whilst in the presence of children.” The court heard McGurty repeatedly contacted the victim by phone on August 4 offering threats of violence before he threatened to slit her throat, set her house on fire and drive a car through her home. Mr Kelly said the defendant was not a heavily convicted man and had no history of offending on bail. The court was told the offences were committed in Appleby-in-Westmorland and Brough. Magistrates opted to remand the defendant in custody and ordered for the probation service to conduct a pre-sentence report in the case.