A jealous man with a shotgun in his shed terrified his partner into thinking he would shoot her, a court heard.

Gordon Goodman 55, showed controlling behaviour towards his partner and said if he got proof she was having an affair it would be the end for all of them, Norwich Crown Court was told.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said the defendant made the comments as he had looked towards the shed, where the victim knew he had a shotgun and ammunition stored.

Mr Spence said: "She was aware Goodman had in his possession a shotgun and ammunition as he had showed it to her on a previous occasion. She felt if he lost his rag he might have shot her."

She said he was jealous she might be seeing another man.

Mr Spence said: "By that stage she was terrified because he would lose his temper over things that might be trivial things."

He said that Goodman had shown controlling behaviour towards her, checking her movements and phone calls.

Police were contacted and the shotgun was recovered and Goodman agreed he had no certificate for it.

In an impact statement the victim said she wanted nothing more to do with Goodman and planned to move on with her life.

Goodman, of no fixed address, appeared over a link from Norwich Prison and admitted having a shotgun without a certificate on September 23 last year, and controlling or coercive behaviour between September 2019 and September 23, 2020.

He was given a an 18-month jail sentence suspended for two years.

He was also made subject to a restraining order under which he must not contact his former partner for the next five years.

Judge Katharine Moore said he had put his former partner in fear, adding: "The victim would infer that there was a threat that the weapon would be used to end it all."

However she accepted Goodman had difficulties of his own and had now had shown a willingness to get help

Rob Pollington, for Goodman, said that a psychiatrist's report showed Goodman had difficulties including post traumatic stress.

He said Goodman felt ashamed about his behaviour and while on remand had caught Covid.