A former soldier has been acquitted of threatening to kill and controlling his wife during a bitter end to their marriage, but has been jailed for threatening to burn his house down.

Afghanistan veteran Troy Loader, from Lordswood, was found not guilty of three charges, but admitted a fourth, threatening to damage property

But a jury at Maidstone Crown Court rejected his wife's claims that he had used her cigarette and alcohol cravings as a tool to get sex.

The £6,000-a-month security consultant told the court that it was his wife who had used sex to bargain for money.

Mr Loader, 51, said he had sent much of his tax-free earnings from working in Afghanistan to help pay for their mortgage on their Medway home.

He had denied making a threat to kill her, controlling and coercive behaviour and attempted arson.

A jury found him not guilty on all three charges.

"I asked for a statement and when I looked at it; basically there was no money. I was shocked..."

But as he took the stand during his trial, he changed his plea to guilty for a fourth charge of threatening to destroy property and was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Loader told the jury how his marriage fell apart when he returned home after working for three months in Afghanistan.

"I was about to do some work on the house and so I went to the bank to check on the finances. I asked (the cashier) for a statement and when I looked at it; basically there was no money. I was shocked."

He said one of the reasons he had agreed to work in the dangerous war zone was to help end the mortgage early by paying double the monthly amount.

Loader, of Sundridge Drive, Lordswood, said he confronted his wife about the missing money and she reacted with a look "like 'oh ****'".

He added: "I asked where the money had gone and she said she didn't know. I said: 'Have you stashed the money prior to clearing off? If that's the case then clear off.'

"Within 24 hours of that discussion she packed her bags and moved out. I was in total shock."

He said that she later returned a week-and-a-half later as he had been offered more work in Afghanistan "which I needed to consider as I had no money".

Loader said that before going back he insisted on an agreement because he feared returning to Kent and finding the lock on their home had been changed.

By July last year he had lost his job and "money was tight" and he fell out with BT after the company raised the cost of a TV package.

Loader told the jury he had threatened to smash a BT box and put petrol inside - but had no intention of carrying out the threat.

He said he had an argument with his wife who he claimed was goading him and he poured petrol on himself but denied he was going to set it alight.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

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