Barry Keen, 51, of Greenfield Close, New Mills, had admitted assaulting his partner Sharon Carole Lockett and her daughter Emma Louise McCarthy on February 17.

District Judge Leo Pyle said: "Your behaviour was that of a foulmouthed threatening bully. It must never be repeated."

He imposed a 12 month community sentence on Keen with supervision and ordered him to pay £100 to each complainant. Keen was also ordered to pay £350 costs.

Mr Pyle also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.

Earlier the court heard how Keen, had taken the knife and held it at his partner's face during a sustained incident in their home.

John Cooper, prosecuting, said Ms Lockett had been in a relationship with the defendant for 14 years and they had been happy until recently.

The court heard there had been problems recently with a change in character of the defendant, who gave his partner constant verbal abuse and the two parties had barely been on speaking terms.

On February 17 Ms Lockett had been making a sandwich when Keen went into the kitchen and started shouting at her. He had then grabbed a kitchen knife and put his left arm up against her neck and held the knife inches below her eye. She then went upstairs and he followed her, shouting. At one stage he tried to pull her off the bed by her leg.

When her daughters returned home she heard them downstairs and found one of them 'locked together' with Keen. In her statement Miss McCarthy said she had hold of the defendant to stop him from hitting her. Police were then called.

Mr Hood, defending, said: "The situation arises from domestic conflict that had gone on for some considerable time."

He said Keen, of previous good character, had never felt accepted by his partner's daughters and felt undervalued and never listened to.

Mr Hood said the incident was "a culmination of emotion that had been festering and had built up. He is dreadfully upset that it ever happened."

The court heard that the couple were to get back together.