A DRUG-ADDICT father instructed his estranged partner to drive them to the M65 so they could both die there, a court heard.

Adam Hargreaves, 22, had stalked Victoria Morton, flouting court orders, violently attacking her, taking her car and insulting her.

He also telephoned, telling her she ‘was dead’, when a police officer was listening.

Hargreaves was the subject of three court orders at the time.

Miss Morton was said to have been left frightened, feared she might be killed, and said the father of her child was unstable and unpredictable because of his drug use, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The defendant, of Walton Street, Colne, admitted putting a person in fear of violence, breaching a restraining order, taking a vehicle without consent, driving while banned and two counts of breaching a non-molestation order, last August and September.

He was jailed for 18 months.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said Hargreaves and the victim had split last April just before their baby was born.

Hargreaves had previously been violent.

Miss Morton moved in with her mother and obtained a non-molestation order.

Her solicitor served the order on the defendant and he hurled the papers up in the air.

The next day the victim came across Hargreaves and agreed to take him home, to get him away from the area where her son was.

He became abusive, punched the windscreen and cracked it and told her to drive on and stop crying.

He made her drive to a dead end, grabbed her and hit her head.

He then instructed her to drive to the motorway so they could both die there.

A passer-by went to Miss Morton’s aid and the police were called.