A MAN from Gwynedd who threatened to kill a woman’s dog, burn down her house, drown her, and share sexual photos of her, has been spared jail.

Niall Archer, 32, of Cae'r Ffynnon, Llanystumdwy, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for the same time period, at Caernarfon Crown Court today (January 16).

Judge Nicola Saffman, sentencing Archer, reserved his case to herself should he breach the terms of his order and return to court.

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Prosecuting, Brett Williamson told the court that, between March 2022 and August 2023, Archer exhibited such threatening behaviour towards the woman.

He would also insult her, calling her “fat” and “ugly”, as well as such names as a “tramp”, a “rat”, and a “w****”.

A Facebook message sent by Archer to the woman containing a fire emoji was taken as a threat to burn down her home, meanwhile.

Archer also came into possession of sexually explicit images of the woman, which he told her would be “plastered all over the town”.

He also told her he had already shared sexual videos of her, as well as threatening to kill himself in front of her.

In a statement, the woman said Archer’s actions left her “traumatised”, and she now receives counselling as a consequence.

Defending Archer, who had 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, Paulinus Barnes said his client now “accepts what he’s done” and is “ashamed” by his behaviour.

Mr Barnes said Archer made “very rash and foolish threats”, but said it would “never have been his intention to carry those threats out”.

Archer has spent the last five months remanded in custody – the equivalent of a 10-month sentence – and was said to have already undertaken work while in prison.

With all of this in mind, Mr Barnes invited Judge Saffman to consider suspending his custodial sentence.

Judge Saffman agreed, but solely because of the time he has spent on remand, and for his show of remorse for his “vile, reprehensible behaviour”.

She told him: “Your behaviour has been reprehensible, bullying, sly and nasty. You were disrespectful in the most appalling way towards her. You tried to grind her down by bullying her.

“Had you not served the equivalent of a 10-month sentence, I would have had no hesitation in sending you to prison for four years.

“You are on a very, very, very fine line.”

Archer, who Judge Saffman labelled a “bully”, told her he is willing to adhere to the suspended sentence, saying: “I want to change myself for the better”.