A serial domestic abuser sneaked into his ex-girlfriend's home at 2.30am and turned on the gas taps hoping her cooker would blow up.

David Parke broke off the four control knobs on Helen Chess's hob so she would be unable to stop the flow of deadly cooking gas.

The 29-year-old even cut off her electricity first so she would have to light a candle - providing an open flame, prosecutors claimed.

Luckily Ms Chess's Ramsgate home did not explode - because her nephew disturbed Parke and noticed the smell.

Now Parke, of Cavendish Street, Ramsgate, has been jailed for seven years over the ordeal as part of a 10-year extended sentence.

He claimed he had not realised anyone was at home and was trying to kill himself until he heard Ms Chess's nephew.

But the court heard he was "controlling and abusive", having been convicted of attacking two previous partners.

And he wrote Ms Chess a note saying: "I will never stop trying. No one else will have you."

Her nephew heard Parke sneaking out through a window on the
night of May 25, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Smelling gas, he woke his aunt and they fled the house to call police.

"you pose a very serious risk of causing further harm to women in the future..." – judge adele williams

Dominic Connolly, prosecuting, said: "The electricity cupboard was open and the main fuse had been removed.

"It goes without saying that the only way to be seen would be to light a candle, which would mean an open flame."

Parke, who has 25 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to recklessly causing criminal damage.

He was also handed a five-year restraining order against Ms Chess, who
the court heard was badly traumatised.

Oliver Saxby, defending, said Parke had a problem with substance abuse, adding: "There are promising signs that the penny has begun to drop."

But Judge Adele Williams branded Parke dangerous, telling him: "Mercifully the newphew was still awake and went for help.

"If he had not you could well have been facing the gravest possible charge.

"You pose a very serious risk of causing further harm to women in the future."