A MAN who attacked his ex-partner’s new boyfriend sent him a parcel of stuffed toys, creams and bandages to apologise.

Paul Wood of Colemans Hill, Headington, punched Peter Murphy in the face and bit his thumbs during the attack on April 23.

Mr Murphy was picking up his three-year-old daughter at the time in his home city of Leeds when he was set on by Wood.

The child was passed to another parent during the attack, said prosecutor Hugh Williams at Oxford Crown Court on Monday.

Police were called and separated the pair. It was then that Wood , who was yesterday spared prison, told Murphy: “You got away, next time I’ll kill you”.

The court heard that Wood, 41, had two sons aged 15 and 10 during his relationship with his ex-partner.

Wood referred himself to Oxford’s Littlemore Hospital after the attack where he repeated his threat to kill Mr Murphy to a doctor.

Mr Williams said: “He told him that he wanted to kill Peter, it had been his intention to kill him during the fight in Leeds and he wanted to do it properly next time.”

This was reported to police.

Wood sent a parcel as a way of apology to Mr Murphy containing stuffed toys for his daughter, creams and bandages which was not “well received” Mr Williams said.

Wood interrupted the proceedings several times, first saying: “I’m sorry for whatever I did. I will do whatever it takes to make it right and I have been taking my tablets.”

Alistair Grainger, defending, said Wood had a “long psychiatric history” and did not know Mr Murphy was carrying a child and was “deeply troubled” by this.

Wood told the court: “This bloke is evil and dark and sinister.

“He’s violent and he’s got a bad temper and he is a bad influence on my ex-partner and my children and that’s why I did it.”

Judge Mary Mowat said she would have “little doubt” in sending him to prison were it not for his “medical difficulties” .

She gave him a two-year suspended sentenced for actual bodily harm and threats to kill.

He admitted both charges at an earlier hearing.

She also placed a restraining order banning Wood from contacting Mr Murphy, his daughter and Wood’s ex-partner.

Contact with his sons must be through a solicitor.