A MAN who falsely imprisoned a woman in her home for over three hours and threatened to kill her has been jailed for three years.

Jon Hosie, 42, of Butt Lane, Bere Regis, who has a history of violent offences, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to both charges.

Prosecutor Tim Coombes told Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday that shortly after Christmas in 2001 Hosie and the woman developed a relationship. He said that in the early stages the relationship appeared satisfactory but it later turned sour and the woman tried to end it.

On the evening of January 24 this year Hosie turned up at the victim's home in Hamworthy and the couple got into a long argument. During the incident the victim contacted the police and Hosie was encouraged to leave. But Hosie returned to the house in the early hours of January 25. It was then that he falsely imprisoned the woman in the bedroom of her home.

Mr Coombes said police officers surrounding her home could see her in the window clearly distressed as the defendant made threats towards her.

He added: "She took these threats very seriously. He repeatedly threatened to kill her."

The incident ended after Hosie fell asleep and the victim left the house.

Geoffrey Still, defending, said Hosie had tried to put his violent past behind him and had got himself a demanding job and was a "well-liked and well-respected member of the community".

Judge Samuel Wiggs told Hosie: "You have an extremely long record for offences of violence." He sentenced Hosie to three years' imprisonment to run concurrently for the two offences. Hosie must also serve the 268 days outstanding from a previous seven-year jail sentence he began in 1997 for a serious violent offence.