A WOMAN was left “scared going to bed at night” after her ex-husband spent a month terrorising her.

Ronald Spooner bombarded Thirza Barnard with unwanted phone calls and visits after their 26-year relationship broke down 18 months ago.

He threatened to burn her house down and accused her of sleeping with firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue who checked her fire alarms.

In a separate incident, Spooner, 45, also ran down a member of staff from Co-op, in Millbrook Road West, who was trying to stop a thief escaping.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard that Spooner’s stalking began on October 2, when he turned up at his ex’s home – banging on the windows demanding to speak to her.

He followed her to their children’s school in Sholing where a member of the public saw him break a bottle and put the glass from it under her car’s wheel.

Prosecuting, Sarah Lodge said during a visit to her house Spooner had said: “I’ll get a lot of people to knock your door down and burn your house down.”

Spooner also made numerous threats, including to slit her throat and telling her to “watch your back, I will mow you down with my car”.

In a victim statement read to the court by Ms Barnard she said the incident had left her “going to bed early” because she was “scared in the evening he would show up and be outside her window”.

On October 12, Spooner also drove into Andrew Hunt who, along with a colleague, had spotted someone stealing from their branch of Co-op on CCTV.

When the thief ran away and into Spooner’s car, Mr Hunt stood in front of it to stop them getting away.

Ms Lodge said Spooner then drove off with Mr Hunt on the bonnet, carrying him for around 15ft.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Hunt said: “I have worked here since May 2017 and I love my role with the company.

“I don’t like it when people take away products from people that work here.

“The driver was unknown to me and he drove his car straight at me. When I was on his bonnet I could remember looking into his eyes.

“All I felt was nervousness. I did not know what would happen next.”

Oliver O’Connor, mitigating, said Spooner had found it difficult to come to terms with the collapse of his long-term marriage.

He said: “He now accepts the relationship is over. He has struggled with the fact his 26 year marriage is over.

“She is now in another relationship and he says he struggled with that.”

District judge Lorraine Morgan said Spooner had not accepted responsibility for anything else, except the end of his relationship.

Spooner, of Harefield Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty to stalking and assault.

He was jailed for 26 weeks imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for 12 months after “he used his weapon as a car”. A restraining order was put in place to protect Ms Barnard and he was ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.