A man who admitted to stealing a knife, threatening murder, and going against a domestic protection order received a four month prison sentence suspended for two years and several fines from Magistrate Will Francis in Plea Court on Thursday.

Gavin Christian Wilkinson, 31, was charged with entering the house of a woman and stealing a $15 knife from her kitchen on January 19. Then, on January 20, he was charged with threatening to kill the woman after she reported him to Police. He pleaded guilty to all three charges.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill told the court the woman had known Wilkinson for six years and was involved in a relationship with him for four. During that relationship, said Ms Dill, the complainant suffered both mental and physical abuse at the hands of Wilkinson.

On January 23, after he broke into her house and threatened to kill her, the complainant acquired a domestic protection order against Wilkinson.

However Wilkinson pleaded guilty to contravening that protection order on March 16 when he phoned her several times. As he had harassed her several times previously by phone, the complainant had blocked his phone calls.

Wilkinson persisted, however, calling her from a pay phone instead.

Mr. Francis fined Wilkinson $150 for each of the four counts (a total of $600) and gave him a four-month sentence suspended for two years.

"This is my ruling," said Mr. Francis, "and I hope that you regard it seriously.

"I hope whatever you're going through you cool off from, walk away from this situation and leave it behind you."