AN ESTRANGED husband threatened to "skin" his wife's new partner with a Stanley knife, a court heard.

Nicholas Simon Dalton, 38, was ordered to leave the home of his new partner and live at his brother’s when he appeared at York Crown Court.

Caroline Wigin, prosecuting, told the court that the new partner’s house was so close to the marital home that Dalton used to share with his wife, she could see him from her garden.

On May 24, he terrified children in the neighbourhood when, in their presence, he threatened to “skin” her new partner with a Stanley knife.

“This behaviour is utterly unacceptable and criminal. I really cannot contemplate the defendant living at an address so close to his wife,” said the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC.

He gave Dalton a 12-month prison sentence, but suspended it for two years on condition that he lives at his brother’s address, goes on a rehabilitation course and does 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Dalton agreed he would move to his brother’s address that day. He had been remanded in custody following his arrest.

The judge also made a restraining order to last indefinitely forbidding Dalton from going within 100 metres of his wife’s home and not to contact her directly or indirectly.

Dalton had previously been made subject to a restraining order that had forbidden him from being violent towards her or her twin sister after he was convicted of assaulting the sister. Ms Wigin said that on May 24, Dalton’s wife and her new partner were in her garden when they became aware of Dalton watching them from the property of his new partner. First Dalton, who had been drinking, called her new partner a “rat” then he came towards them and in front of several children from the neighbourhood took out a Stanley knife. “I am going to kill you all” and “I am going to skin him” Dalton said about the new man in his wife’s life, said Ms Wigin.

The children screamed and the adults had to take them inside.

Dalton, of no fixed address and formerly of Foxwood, pleaded guilty to threatening someone with a knife and breaching a restraining order.

Alex Menary, for Dalton, said there had been “little difficulty” with him living at his new partner’s home but he didn’t object to the new restraining order or to moving address.

He had admitted his guilt at an early stage and could work with the probation service to rehabilitate himself. Ms Wigins said the wife had been upset by the knife incident and was concerned about the future if Dalton continued to live at the home of his new partner.