SECURITY guard Frank Devall has been found guilty of assaulting his former lover, threatening to kill her and inflicting a bomb hoax on her.

Ellen Rowell told Aylesbury Crown Court on Wednesday how she awoke on Christmas Eve to find Devall trying to strangle her at home in Bowerdean Road, High Wycombe.

The night before, they had agreed to end their three-year relationship in the New Year.

Miss Rowell told the court how she bit Devall in self-defence but that he later produced a device, which had a timer and wires.

Miss Rowell said: "He said, 'This is for you. In about ten minutes, it will go off'." When she called two friends to help her they believed it was a bomb.

Andrew Howarth, prosecuting, said the area was evacuated until experts found the device was a fake bomb made of a coffee tin containing flour, water and nails.

Devall, 50, pleaded not guilty to common assault and claimed bruises on Miss Rowell's neck had been accidental after the couple had gone to sleep with him cuddling her.

He also denied making a threat to kill and denied saying the bomb would go off. He said the tin had been an incendiary device, packed with nails, for training purposes in his job.

Devall said he did not intend to harm anyone or cause fear with the device, "although I think they had it in mind it was real."

After a three-day trial a jury found Devall guilty on all three counts. Judge Christopher Tyrer adjourned sentence for reports.