A jealous lover booby-trapped an army major's car with a home-made bomb after discovering his girlfriend was two-timing him, writes Nick Evans.

Garage owner Robin Debank, 58, placed the explosive device on Major Scott Balda's 4x4 Chevrolet when his girlfriend failed to turn up to his birthday party.

Although Ministry of Defence bomb disposal experts found the device would not have worked, Debank was jailed for six months at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

John Small, prosecuting, told the court Debank had been going out with Catrina Valters for four-and-a-half years after meeting her where she worked at the Royal Military College in Shrivenham, near Faringdon.

The relationship turned sour after the arrival at the college of American Major Balda, who was studying in Britain on a year's secondment.

Debank began to suspect Miss Valters was cheating on him and confronted her about her relationship with Major Balda.

When the American returned home for Christmas and New Year, the relationship between Debank and Miss Valters appeared to improve, said Mr Small.

He left her a message inviting her to a birthday celebration at his home at Langham's Yard, Gloucester Street, Faringdon, on February 4. But when she failed to show, Debank went to her house in the early hours with the bomb-making equipment, found the Major's car parked outside and wired up the electrics to the petrol tank.

The next day he phoned Miss Valters to tell her what he had done and she alerted Major Balda.

Debank, who was married for 25 years and has one daughter, admitted the charge of placing a device likely to cause alarm.

An earlier charge of attempted murder was dropped.

Anthony McGeorge, defending, told the court: "Mr Debank had all the appearance of being a successful and happy man. It seems that his girlfriend was two-timing him and that led to him not knowing where he was or coping very easily.

"The device he attached was completely harmless and not intended to cause the sort of repercussions that it did. He did not intend to harm anybody."

Friends and colleagues of Debank appeared in court and spoke of his generosity and kindness. They said they were stunned when they heard about the bomb hoax. Recorder Anne Campbell said she accepted the circumstances were not what the public would normally associate with a bomb hoax and that it was an unusual and uncharacteristic act.

She added: "Your motive was one of revenge and your intention was to start a panic for the owner of the vehicle and your former girlfriend. It was a mean trick.

"You are more than a man of good character and an outstanding member of your community, but this is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice."