A SPURNED grandad who terrorised his estranged wife after turning up at her Padiham home on Christmas Day armed with a sword and a hammer, was spared jail.

Suicidal John Owens, 56, flipped after Beverley Owens, said to have refused to accept a festive gift from him, told him their relationship was over, and removed her wedding ring.

He smashed a window at the property, in Palmerston Street, with the hammer, and then hit her car windscreen repeatedly with the sword as she tried to drive off.

Owens had twice searched Mrs Owens’ house looking for his ‘27-year-old’ love rival, who he wanted to frighten, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The defendant, who then took a knife from her kitchen, intending to kill himself, but ‘bottled out’ thinking of his grand-children, was to tell police the red mist had descended.

He left the victim, who works at Kitch-ens Garage in the town, traum-atised by his outburst, and in fear of further trouble.

Owens, formerly of Burnley, but now of Chandlery Way, Stretford, had earlier admitted possessing a bladed article, damage and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or beh-aviour, and had been committed for sentence by Pennine magist- rates.

He was fined £500 by Judge Andrew Woolman, who said if he imposed unpaid work, Owens would keep thinking about what happened, and the sooner he put it behind him, the better.

The judge told him: “You fright- ened the life out of your wife. She thought this was out of character but, nonetheless, was extremely scared.”

Owens must pay £250 costs and was put on a 12-month rest-raining order, banning him from contacting Mrs Owens and her new partner Paul Barker. He must not go within 100 metres of Palmerston Street, or go to Kitchens Garage.

The court was told Owens had gone to Kitchens two days before Christmas, threatening Mrs Owens and her boyfriend and had asked the manager what the policy was on relationships between staff members.

Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said, on Christmas Day, Owens arrived at 9.30am wanting to see her and the trouble then happened.

Nick Dearing, for Owens, said Mrs Owens had not been int-erested in accepting a Christ-mas present from him and he had been hurt emotionally.

He added: “This was very much a one-off.”