New Mills man threatens to knock out ex

Andrew Thorpe admitted using threatening and abusive behaviour towards Emma Snaith in New Mills at High Peak Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday.

The 38-year-old bumped into Ms Snaith in Sainsbury’s, on Torr Top Street, on October 22. He swore at her and she replied: ‘Can we go outside to talk about this?’ Thorpe, of Sett Close, shoved her out the door and became abusive.

She said: “Do you not realise you’re doing this in front of children? I’m not doing this here.” Ms Snaith added that she was no longer going to communicate with the defendant through his brother.

Thorpe screamed, shouted and swore at her: “My phone’s broken and my internet’s been cut off” and added: “I don’t have a problem knocking you out right here right now”.

The court heard that he knew he had been foolish but said that Ms Snaith could be very manipulative.

Chairman of the bench Robert Whatmough adjourned the case until March 5 to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared.