A MAN who told his girlfriend he would crash a van into her house and stab a taxi driver said they had only been having a “friendly conversation”.

Luke Balcer denied threatening his on-off girlfriend Gemma Robson, and said the phone call in question was “amicable”, despite the fact he had just found out she was married and was ending their year-long relationship.

Prosecuting at Salisbury magistrates’ court on Friday, David Fosler said Balcer, 23, called Ms Robson, of Tidworth, on March 17 and the pair had a friendly chat which turned nasty.

Giving evidence, Ms Robson said: “He just suddenly turned, I don’t know why.”

She said Balcer had told her he was going to “drive a van through [her] house”, asked “do you want one black eye or two?” and said he would hurt “all the people who are closest to [her]”.

She said Balcer had also said he was going to take a taxi to her house and that he planned to “stab the driver”.

The court heard that Ms Robson immediately phoned police on 101 and two officers arrived, shortly before Balcer turned up and was arrested.

But Balcer denied the claims, and said the call had been amicable throughout.

He said the pair had been catching up, as he had been released from prison the previous day, before finding out that Ms Robson was married and telling her he didn’t want to see her any longer.

And he said he could not have threatened to drive a van into the house, adding: “I don’t even have a vehicle.”

Balcer, of Romney Road, Andover, said he had gone to the house to collect his belongings, before being arrested.

Defending, Nick Bates added: “A guilty man would have fled, someone who is not guilty would perhaps do what he did and knock on the door.”

But magistrate Sarah Neish said Ms Robson had been “a credible witness” and found Balcer guilty.

Balcer also admitted a separate offence of breaking bail conditions after he turned up halfway through the trial.

He entered the court room with his friends as Mr Fosler finished questioning Ms Robson, and said he had been delayed because he did not have any money to get to Salisbury.

And shouting from the public gallery, Balcer’s friend said it had been his fault as he had no fuel in the car and then they hit traffic.

But magistrates pointed out that Balcer had last been given bail on March 19, when he had been told it would be an offence if he did not turn up for the hearing at 9.30am.

Balcer will be sentenced for both charges next month.