A dad threatened to kill the boyfriend of his former partner after he was told he had smashed up her home and belongings.

James Macdonald flew into a rage when the mother of three of his children called him to tell him her current partner, Brad Ferguson, had destroyed her and her children’s property, a court heard.

The 30-year-old called Mr Ferguson late at night in November last year and told him he would not only kill him but also that he would stab him and his daughter for what he had done.

Macdonald, of Westmorland Green, Maidstone, turned himself in to the police the next day after making the threatening Facetime call.

He was later charged with sending a communication conveying a threatening message and with possession of a class B drug cannabis because when police searched his home, the day after the threatening call on November 12, last year, they found a small amount of cannabis in his bedroom.

Macdonald admitted the offences when he appeared in court in June and sentencing was adjourned for a pre-sentencing report to be carried out.

He returned to Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on August 19 to hear his fate when the bench heard the three grams of cannabis had been found in a bedroom drawer.

Benjamin Parkinson, prosecuting, said: “It was about 11.30pm and Mr Ferguson received a Facetime call and he could see it was the face of Mr Macdonald and he was accusing him of damaging his former partner’s home.

“Mr Ferguson denied this, but he threatened him and said he was going to kill him and stab him and his daughter and this was overheard by someone else.

“On November 13, he surrendered himself (to the police) and some cannabis was seized at his home and was found in a chest drawer in the bedroom.”

The court also heard Macdonald’s former partner and mother of three of his children had called him to tell him her current partner, Mr Ferguson, had smashed up her and her children’s belongings and that Macdonald was concerned about his children’s safety and had decided to make the threatening call.

It was also said in court Mr Ferguson was being investigated over the claims he damaged the woman’s property, but as yet, had not been charged with any offence.

Magistrates also heard Macdonald had not smoked cannabis for years and had simply forgotten the class B drug was even in the drawer.

The bench decided to go along with the recommendation of the probation report and placed Macdonald on an 18-month community order which will see him complete 30 rehabilitation sessions and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Macdonald was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 as well as £85 court costs and was ordered to stay away and not contact Mr Ferguson for a year.