A man who said he was caught in a love triangle threatened a woman he was ‘infatuated with’ with a fake gun, before throwing ‘curry powder’ in her face.

Andrew Hoyle, 47, said he was caught in the middle of a love triangle with two women, Chantelle McDonald and Jenna Stanworth, when the three ended up in a fight outside his house.

Prosecuting, Stephen Parker told Burnley Crown Court Ms McDonald and Hoyle were, according to him, in a relationship.

However, Ms McDonald denied this, saying Hoyle was ‘infatuated’ with her, and she was in fact in a relationship with Stanworth, who pleaded guilty to affray for her role in the fight.

On July 1, 2021, texts were exchanged between Hoyle and Ms McDonald's phone which became ‘nasty’.

Stanworth and Ms McDonald turned up at Hoyle’s home in Fountain Street, Burnley, with Stanworth throwing a bottle at him, prompting a fight between the two.

CCTV shown to the court showed Hoyle had come out of his home with a hammer and began to run towards Ms McDonald, threatening her.

Stanworth and Hoyle were hitting each other before Hoyle went back into his house, with Stanworth using his absence as an opportunity to call the police.

Hoyle returned from his front door with a fake gun which he pointed right in the face of Ms McDonald and said he would ‘kill her’. She moved away, and later told police she thought ‘her life was over’.

Hoyle then went back inside again and came back out with what he says was curry powder, throwing it in Ms McDonald’s face. However in a bid to worry her, he told her during the attack it was acid.

Police then arrived and broke up the incident, and Hoyle was arrested.

Mitigating, Kristian Cavanagh said Hoyle has not been involved in any violent offences for some years and he has always been compliant with court orders, as he asked the judge to consider suspending a jail sentence.

Mr Cavanagh said: “While there are factors that would indicate it would be appropriate to jail him, the consideration of risk and compliance is very much in his favour.

“He has been on bail without condition since this offence.

“This is the first violent offence in some time and only the second in 12 years.”

He also said there had been no contact whatsoever made by Hoyle to either woman since the fight, despite this not being a condition of his bail.

Judge Sara Dodd jailed Hoyle for 20 months for his involvement, telling him that jail is the only answer for someone who brings three weapons to a fight.

She said: “Trouble turned up to your door but there was no need to go out and attack a woman, causing injuries that required her to go to the hospital.

“You went back out with an imitation firearm and a girl feared for her life.

“You then threw what you say was curry powder. Mercifully, it didn’t cause any serious injury.”

Stanworth, 36, of Melville Street, Burnley, will be sentenced on January 30 for her involvement in the melee.