Nicola Henry's husband Alister John Henry (44) of Tullyarton Road in Coleraine, appeared at Antrim Crown Court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to making threats to kill his estranged wife Nicola at Coleraine on July 20 last year.

Judge David Smyth sentenced Henry to two years in prison and made a probation order, with stringent conditions, for 18 months following his release.

Henry has already served five months on remand and could be eligible for release before Christmas this year.

Speaking to The Coleraine Times yesterday, a distraught Nicola claimed that her husband wouldn't stop until she was dead: "I've been through so much, I'm trying to get my life back on track, and now I'm being told he will be out before Christmas. What is there to look forward to?

"I just can't help but ask what he has to do to get a longer sentence? Kill me?

"He's got nothing to lose now, and I know that the minute he's released he'll be back to torment me. I know from previous times that he can't cope with the outside world and I'm back living in fear."

Like many other victims of domestic violence Nicola admits that it took a lot of courage for her to come forward and report the abuse to the police.

However, she added: "This really doesn't give other victims hope.

"It's an ordeal coming forward to police. It's a very long process and I just wonder now if it was worth it. Should I have just said it didn't happen?"

Nicola's partner and teenage daughter accompanied her to court yesterday. "My daughter is really mad, she's now old enough to understand what's going on, and we just can't believe that he'll be out soon.

"The judge spoke to me directly in court and told me if anything ever happened again I should report it straight away, but that's not much comfort."