An abusive heavy drinker who imprisoned his partner in her flat walked free from jail because she refused to testify against him.
Anthony Urry, 33, held Marie Hemmingway against her will for two hours and at one point raised a kitchen knife above his head during the drama on July 10.
But prosecutors offered no evidence to charges of false imprisonment and affray because Miss Hemmingway, who has three children with Urry, refused to co-operate.
Urry admitted a lesser charge of common assault and was sentenced to four months in prison. But he was expected to be released from custody because of the time he had already spent on remand.
Helen Wheatley, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court the relationship had a "long history of difficulties" because of Urry's use of alcohol and drugs.
Miss Hemmingway told him she did not think they had a future, but two weeks before the incident in Beverley Road, west Hull, Urry began visiting and staying over.
They fell out again on July 9 because Urry had been "drinking to excess", Miss Wheatley said.
He responded by bombarding her with 30 text messages and 27 calls, then confronted her as she came out of a park and was so abusive he reduced her to tears.
When she returned home, Urry came out of the flat to meet her, apparently having been given keys by the building manager. He pulled her into the flat saying he "needed to talk", then blocked her exit when she tried to leave.
Miss Hemmingway escaped when Urry "dropped his guard" after she suggested they may have a future. She called police from a takeaway and Urry, who was found asleep in the flat, was arrested.
Sentencing him to four months in jail, Judge Simon Jack said Miss Hemmingway must have found the incident "frightening".
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
• Crime news for Hull and East Yorkshire
