A mum and her two children were forced to flee their home out of fear her ex-partner was about to kill her.

A 999 call captured the woman's hysteria as she screamed for help while urging her teenage daughter to lock the doors and take her younger brother upstairs before they eventually decided to make a run for safety to a neighbour's instead.

The cause for such alarm was Thomas Hunt, who just nine months earlier had been spared jail for what was described as a "nasty" assault on the same victim.

Canterbury Crown Court heard he and the woman had been in a relationship for about six years.

Despite breaking up, they remained amicable. But a violent outburst in which Hunt pushed his former girlfriend off a bed was followed by a campaign of stalking.

This involved the 43-year-old repeatedly calling and messaging her, as well as posting about her on social media.

Then, in October last year, a raging Hunt turned up at her home, threatening to drive his van into the property and warned "I'm going to f***ing kill you, you wait".

The ex-partner was left so distressed that even after his arrest and remand in custody she continued to fear him, the court heard.

Hunt, of Popes Lane, Sturry, later admitted stalking involving fear of violence, making threats to kill, theft of a Ring doorbell, driving while disqualified and without insurance, drink-driving and breach of a suspended sentence order.

That order of a 12-month jail term suspended for two years had been imposed in March last year at the same court for an assault on the same victim in April 2022, as well as offences of damaging property and dangerous driving.

Of the terrifying moment last year when he arrived at her home making threats and tried to smash a window with a chair before forcing his way in and damaging property, prosecutor Tanya Robinson told the court at Hunt's sentencing hearing on Friday (May 24): "The 999 call gives a very clear indication of the impact of this offending.

"She was in a state throughout. Her children were present and they were eventually made to run across the road.

"The threat that he was going to drive into the house and at them while they were inside....was a threat he repeated a few times, and one made in the past.

"It is apparent she plainly thought he was going to kill."

Police arrived but Hunt, who has 16 previous convictions for 29 offences and was on bail for driving matters at the time, had already driven off, having taken the Ring camera - and evidence of his wrongdoing - with him.

Following his arrest, he gave a 'no comment' interview.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described having trouble sleeping as well as suffering from depression and anxiety.

She also said she had since had multiple breakdowns in which she felt like she "could not breathe".

"I know he is currently locked up but I'm still scared," added the mum.

The court heard that Hunt, who has bipolar, was once made subject to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act in 2019.

But Kieran Brand, defending, said life had been "going well" until the assault in 2022 which resulted in him losing not just his partner and her support but also his family home.

"Left to his own devices, he struggled," the barrister told the court. "He worked long hours, was living at his work premises, lost track of his medication, stopped taking it altogether and turned to drink.

"But he knows he has no one else to blame but himself."

Mr Brand added however that Hunt, who was supported at the hearing by his parents and brother, was now a "very different" man.

Jailing Hunt for a total of four years, Judge Simon Taylor KC told him the victim's evident distress in her 999 call, in particular her pleas to her children, demonstrated how she felt about him "invading the sanctity of her home".

"She genuinely believed you would kill her if you were given the chance....and the impact of your offending cannot be underestimated," he added.

"Your conduct was intended to maximise fear or distress and committed over several months.

"It culminated with you attending her property, using force to gain entry, damaging items, making threats to kill her and causing her to flee her home."

Judge Taylor said he recognised Hunt had an "enduring" mental health problem which was "legitimately linked" to his criminal behaviour.

But he said alcohol was a "key driver" in his latest offending as well as his previous convictions, with his best mitigation being his guilty pleas and "stabilising" mental health.

As part of his sentence, Hunt was given a 53-month driving ban and made subject to a restraining order banning contact with his victim.