A HOAX bomber who caused chaos for residents who had to be evacuated from their homes on Christmas Eve, has been jailed for two years.

Frank Devall, formally of Bowerdean Road, High Wycombe, was sentenced on Wednesday for presenting his ex-lover Eileen Rowell with a fake bomb claiming it would go off in ten seconds, Aylesbury Crown Court heard.

The 50-year-old had pleaded not guilty to common assault, making a threat to kill and perpetrating a bomb hoax.

But a jury of seven women and five men found him guilty on all counts on July 4.

Judge Christopher Tyrer told Devall on Wednesday: "What you put that lady through that night, and indeed the police who came as a consequence, was disgraceful.

"A lot of people, not least elderly people in the almshouses opposite had to be evacuated because the police believed there was an explosive device which was going to go off."

Miss Rowell told the court the trouble started after they had agreed to end their three-year relationship.

She said Devall, who was also a former French Legionnaire, had been jealous because he believed she had started seeing someone else.

On Christmas Eve morning last year she woke being strangled by Devall and had to bite him to make him let go.

The court heard how Miss Rowell called two friends and an off-duty Metropolitan Police officer who came to her rescue.

Andrew Howarth, prosecuting, said they too believed the device, which had a timer and wires, was real.

Devall claimed the 'bomb' had been a training device and was not intended to do harm.

He said the bruising to Miss Rowell's neck had been accidental and caused when he had been cuddling her.

Clemency Firth said in mitigation that the defendant now had a new partner and was no longer considered to be a menace.

Devall was jailed for three months for common assault and two years concurrent for making a threat a kill and perpetrating a bomb hoax.