An oil pipeline engineer swung a baseball bat at his former partner's new lover after he turned up at her home.
Daniel Brennan was armed with the weapon when he went to his ex's home in Whitley Bay accompanied by two other men. A court heard that his former girlfriend's new partner drove to the scene to everything was OK when he spotted the 37-year-old swinging the bat in the street.
Prosecutors said that Brennan then ran towards the victim's vehicle, causing him to fear for his safety, drive off and contact the police. Brennan, of Burnbank Avenue, in Seaton Burn, was arrested and appeared in the dock at Newcastle Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to a public order offence.
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Rob Lawson, prosecuting, said the victim was the new partner of Brennan's ex and he received messages from Brennan on December 15 last year. As a result, he went to his girlfriend's home to check everything was alright.
Mr Lawson continued: "He found the defendant with two other men. The defendant had a baseball bat and was swinging it around. He ran towards his car. This caused [the victim] to be scared. He drove away."
The court was told that Brennan was an intelligent man, with two degrees and a PHD, and was a certified engineer whose job was to repair oil pipelines. Jonathan Cousins, defending, said Brennan suffered from a number of mental health issues, which caused him to suffer from extreme highs and lows.
Mr Cousins added: "He was having a huge depressive period. He was reviewed by a psychiatrist and his medication was adjusted prior to the Christmas period and he made a considerable improvement."
Brennan was fined £1,466 and must pay a £586 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
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