A HEATING engineer accused of dousing a car with petrol and trapping his partner inside has been cleared.

Michael Darren Williams, 50, denied threatening to destroy a Rover vehicle to endanger the life of Julie Williams and using a broom to falsely imprison her inside on September 8 last year.

Mr Williams, of Llandyssil, Montgomery, was cleared by a jury at Mold Crown Court.

The prosecution alleged that he was "unhappy and annoyed" at not being properly informed of Ms Williams' movements after she left work early feeling ill on September 8 last year.

A row broke out with Mr Williams telling her to leave.

Prosecuting barrister, Simon Mintz said Ms Williams packed a bag, got her dog and got into a Rover which she usually drove and was owned by Mr Williams.

But she remained in the car, which was troublesome to start, and refused to leave saying she had nowhere to go and had "no reason to leave."

Mr Mintz alleged the defendant came outside several times and became "angry" and "frustrated" at the fact she was still there.

But Ms Williams said he had made no threats to set fire to the car, nor did he get any matches or a lighter.

The defendant denied pouring petrol over the bonnet and making any threat by his actions but he accepted he wedged the driver's door with the broom to stop Ms Williams getting back into the house.

He also accepted damaging the windscreen.

In evidence, he agreed his defence statement said that he believed she had made up the allegation as she feared he was serious about her leaving and that she would find herself homeless.

But he said that at the time he had made it clear to her that she was welcome to come back the following day.

He said that he had been watching television and was conscious of the fact that she had been outside for half an hour or so.

When it was put to him that he had plenty of time to cool down, he said that there was not need for him to calm down. He said that she was still very angry at him.

He said that he picked up a can which contained sludge, or some oily water and threw it at the windscreen but said that was in frustration. He wanted her to leave and not to get any more angry, he said. The can was just something he picked up.

It was not a case of him dowsing the car in a threat to set the car on fire and said he just got a hose and washed the car down.

Jemma Gordon, defending, said the defendant never had any intention to harm his partner, there had been no threat and he had not prevented her from leaving the car.