A MAN who trapped his ex-partner in her bedroom and threatened to stab her told police he had the knife because he wanted to cut a cake, a judge heard.

Xavier Forde pounced on his former girlfriend as she was taking her bins out and bundled her upstairs and into her bedroom.

The 31-year-old then refused to let Lisa Morgan off the bed and punched her in the back of the head each time she attempted to leave.

After threatening to stab her Forde then kicked her in the face, fracturing her cheek bone, before a knock at the front door allowed the woman to escape.

A judge sitting at Reading Crown Court jailed Forde for a total of 27 months after he admitted false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm.

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting on Friday, said: "She was at home and went out in the evening to take the bins out.

"Somebody came up behind and bundled her into the house."

He went on to describe how Forde punched her in the back of the head before leaving to grab a knife.

Mr Hall added: "The defendant came back into the bedroom and had a kitchen knife with him.

"She was scared and crying and the defendant's reaction to her breaking into tears was to say 'shut the f*** up' and punch her in the head.

"He eventually lost his temper completely and kicked her in the face."

Shortly after, a knock at the door gave Miss Morgan a chance to escape the home in Elizabeth Walk, Katesgrove, claiming it to be one of her two children.

While Forde had been in the kitchen she had earlier text a friend asking them to "call the police".

The awaiting officers proceeded to arrest him and take him in for questioning on January 29.

Mr Hall said in his interview Forde told police: "He did bring a knife but said he wanted to eat some cake and therefore needed a knife to cut it with."

Guy Bowden, defending, told the judge how Forde had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

He said: "The expert in the psychological report says this is a young man who needs assistance."

Mr Bowden added that messages from the pair's phones confirmed they were still together and that Miss Morgan had lied in her statements about the couple's relationship.

Mr Recorder Harold Persaud said: "That must have been terrifying, having made her sit on the bed, threatened to stab her and produced a knife.

"She thought you were going to use the knife on her."

However Mr Persaud acknowledged Forde's mental health issues adding: "It is unfortunate that it is not open to me to make a hospital order."

An indefinite restraining order barring him from contact with Miss Morgan was also ordered.