A victim of stalking has read out a harrowing victim impact statement to a court in which she said she believed it wouuld take her former partner killing her before “proper action” would be taken.

James Casey was jailed at Bolton Crown Court for two years and 21 weeks for stalking with fear of violence and breaching a restraining order.

He rang former partner Keeley Wood 60 times on December 16 last year and made threats to kill her and bomb her home.

The 31-year-old from Winchester Way, Bolton, had lived with her in Bacup, Lancashire.

He also breached a suspended sentence given at the Lancashire Magistrates court last year for breaking the terms of a non-molestation order.

During the sentence Miss Wood read a victim impact statement setting out how the offending had affected her.

In it she said: “On the day of the incident occurring, it caused me to be panicked a lot more because I am in fear for my life and this is the second incident where James has threatened me.

“The last time James threatened me like this, he turned up to my address.

“I do genuinely believe James will kill me and I am petrified about this.

“I know I struggled sleeping shortly after the incident back in December and this is the same feeling I had on he previous incident.

“I feel like I am back to square one again.

“I feel like James is not going to let me move on with my life and I don’t believe he cares about what will happen to me.

“I have an image in my head that James will pour petrol through my letterbox and set fire to my house."

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“Now time has passed and moving on from the date of the incident, I have had a short time living with freedom since James’ arrest and I’ve not had to keep looking over my shoulder all the time but I feel this isn’t going to be for long.

“I have a feeling of an impending doom waiting for me on the date that James is released.

“I am anxious for the day that I am informed James has completed his punishment as I feel like this cycle will start all over agin.

“I can’t plan my future or the future of my daughter.

"I just feel that this will continue if he isn't stopped.

"Not being able to move on with my life or mine and my daugther's future is causing me to have low moods, knowing that I can't move on with my life and build a future if James isn't handed sufficient punishment for this.

"I have felt let down by the courts in the past, I don't feel that James will serve a long sentence if any as a result of this incident and I do honestly believe it will take James having to kill me before proper action is taken against him.

"I don't believe that James learnt his lesson from being given a suspended sentence and a restraining order as he has made direct contact with me when he knows to do this and will be arrested for it."