A Chester stalker threatened to blow a woman’s ‘brains out’ and kill her family then ‘bury them in Delamere Forest’.

Darren Seago, 31, of Upton, launched his revenge campaign of intimidation and harassment after she ended their 16-month relationship.

Chester Crown Court heard how Seago also harassed the Widnes woman’s boss at her workplace and even contacted a Halton Council worker to blame her for the break-up.

Meirion Lewis-Jones, prosecuting, said problems began on November 8 when relationship ended with Seago, who grabbed her hair and shouted that ‘he would kill her children, her parents, her grandparents and bury them in Delamere Forest’.

She told police she did not want further action but rang them again four days later when Seago threatened to kill her.

Seago continued to ‘bombard’ her with texts and calls ‘begging her to take him back’. She was ‘brow-beaten into taking him back’ but ended it again on December 9, at which point he contacted Halton social services claiming she was ‘addicted to cocaine’.

On another occasion he refused to leave her house, grabbed a phone from her hand as she called police and threatened to ‘scar her’.

The harassment continued after his arrest and detention in custody, with Seago bypassing HMP Altcourse’s censor by calling up to 10 times a day and sending letters to his victim’s workplace. They contained abuse and allegations about his ex’s fitness to be a parent.

In one call Seago spoke to a salon worker and said: “I’m going to come back and go to (the victim’s) house and shoot her, then shoot myself.”

Seago had previously posted a picture of himself on Facebook holding a shotgun.

Mr Lewis-Jones told the court that Seago’s harassment took another sinister twist when he sent a letter to the Widnes primary school attended by the victim’s children, alleging she used cocaine and was in a relationship with a ‘drug dealer’.

A psychologist reported to the court that Seago, of Weston Grove, Upton, had a borderline personality disorder, anxiety and depression.

He had past convictions for stalking in relation to eight other victims.

Peter Barnett, defending, said Seago was ‘obsessive’ and was a hard worker who was taking medication for his mental health issues.

The Widnes woman had met Seago on Facebook.

Recorder Graham Cook, presiding, sentenced Seago to a total of six years in prison for six counts of stalking, threats to kill and witness intimidation.

It would have been nine years had the defendant not pleaded guilty.

Sentencing Seago, Judge Cook said: “The course of conduct undertaken by you in and out of prison was one of the worst I have ever come across – absolutely appalling.

“I accept you have health problems, I read the report from Dr Murphy but the effect of your behaviour is aggravated by the fact she is at least victim number nine since 2001.

“You are becoming a danger to women.”

Detective Constable John Rhodes said: “Cheshire Police treats all cases of stalking and harassment extremely seriously and we are extremely pleased with the sentence that has been handed out today.

“We hope that this conviction will give other victims the confidence to come forward and shows them that we understand the effects that this has on victims and their families.”