A thug who threatened to kill a man during a heated phone row with his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for two years.

Antonio Shearer, of Summerson Close, Rochester, held a steak knife to the throat of Andrew Bolton as he gave him a lift to his dentist in Medway.

Shearer, 27, was staying at Mr Bolton’s home in Essex and had asked him to drive him to his appointment in his van.

However, Maidstone Crown Court heard events took a sinister turn when Shearer became angry as he repeatedly phoned his former partner Charlie Brand.

He at first threatened to kill Miss Brand, stabbing the dashboard as he did so, and then made a stabbing motion with the 5in serrated blade towards Mr Bolton’s chest, while he was at the wheel.

At one point Shearer also held the weapon to Mr Bolton’s neck, causing a 1in long scratch, said prosecutor Mary Jacobson.

"In your rage and complete loss of control you put that knife to Mr Bolton’s throat as he drove along, putting both of you in danger and, in particular, him" - Judge Jeremy Carey

Once at the dentist, Shearer took the van keys so a terrified Mr Bolton could not leave, and then had to drive him back to Essex, again at knifepoint.

His ordeal continued when Shearer, having again phoned Miss Brand, told her he had kidnapped a driver.

“He made Mr Bolton speak to Miss Brand over the phone to tell her ‘He has kidnapped me and got a knife on my throat.’,” said Miss Jacobson.

Shearer, who thought Miss Brand was in a new relationship, threatened to kill her once more. The court heard he had also left voicemail messages in which he spoke about having ‘a few weapons of choice.’

Shearer admitted assault by beating of Mr Bolton and having an offensive weapon.

He also pleaded guilty to breach of a non-molestation order in respect of Miss Brand.

Jailing him, Judge Jeremy Carey said he was fortunate not to have been charged with the more serious offences of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm or making threats to kill.

He added that Mr Bolton was "a complete innocent" doing Shearer a favour and for which he ended up having "the most traumatic experience".

“He was a decent man who didn’t deserve anything of the kind that was meted out. As he drove along to your dentist appointment you attacked him and lost your temper as you have done so often," he said.

“In your rage and complete loss of control you put that knife to Mr Bolton’s throat as he drove along, putting both of you in danger and, in particular, him.”

However, Judge Carey, who accepted Shearer’s claim that he found the knife in the van, said punishment had to be ‘in proportion’ to the charges he faced.

For the offences against Mr Bolton, Shearer was jailed for 14 months. He was sentenced to a further 10 months consecutive for the breach offence, making a total of two years.

A restraining order was also imposed preventing him from contacting either Miss Brand or Mr Bolton.

His previous convictions included an earlier breach of the non-molestation order and he had been released from prison just nine weeks before this incident.

Peter Marshall, defending, said Shearer acknowledged his behaviour to both victims was wholly unacceptable, and that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd, mixing alcohol with cocaine, after his mother was diagnosed with cancer.