A dad who stalked the mother of his child after they broke up and threatened to stab her father has been locked up.

Unable to accept she had finished their "toxic" relationship and moved out of their Thanet home - taking their son with her - Jack Walker bombarded his ex with abusive calls and messages.

In some of his communications in early December, the 26-year-old threatened to stab her dad in the stomach and hurt her brother if she didn't allow him to see his son.

Despite blocking him on social media and on her phone, Walker would come up with more creative methods to contact her - and would even ask random members of the public if he could use their phone to call her.

In January, he was re-located out of Thanet to Folkestone and his behaviour towards his former partner improved, but at the end of the month, she had to block him again because his threatening behaviour had escalated.

Walker was later charged with stalking and sending malicious communications.

He was also charged with assaulting two police officers and criminal damage after punching the window of the Euro chicken shop in Folkestone in April.

Walker, of Sandgate Road, admitted all the offences when he appeared at magistrates court and was remanded in custody.

He appeared at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday) on August 17to be sentenced over all matters.

The court heard how on December 27, police were called to Westgate-on-Sea railway station after Walker got onto the tracks in a bid to end his life.

However, when officers approached him he became aggressive and threatened to beat them as his distressed partner sobbed as she held their young child.

As one female officer approached him to try and coax him out of the station, Walker spotted some empty bottles and picked them up and threw one at the officer.

Alexa Le Moine prosecuting said: "He threatened the officer and told them not to come near or he would beat them up.

"He threw one glass bottle which smashed only a metre away from her."

Another officer caught up with Walker and deployed his pepper spray in a bid to stop him and he was arrested, but during interviews he denied he made threats to both officers at the scene.

In relation to the stalking offence, Miss Le Moine added: "He would also call her from withheld numbers and made threats towards her and her dad and brother.

"He threatened to stab her dad in the belly if he didn't see his son."

The court also heard Walker - who has 19 convictions for 36 offences, many involving violence - has been in prison before.

He had been diagnosed with ADHD, had suffered a troubled childhood and had mental health problems.

Walker's former partner was in court to see him sentenced and told prosecutors she did not need him to be put on a restraining order as they needed to communicate so he could see his son when he was released from prison.

Recorder Amy Nicholson jailed Walker for 18 months for the stalking and malicious communications offences. He received no separate penalty for the assaults on emergency workers and the criminal damage offence.

Recorder Nicholson added: "These were a series of offences carried out during a decline in your mental health because of the destruction of your relationship.

"She was vulnerable and a new mother and they were very threatening messages.

"This constant revolving door of prison must change."