A blade-wielding dad threatened to stab his kids' grandfather, who exclaimed "you've got babies here, who brings a knife?"
In the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday the father was sentenced to 18 months' jail, to be wholly suspended upon entering into a good behaviour order for two years.
The sentence was back-dated take 82 days already spent behind bars into account.
The man, 21, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
He had previously pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated threat to kill, possessing a weapon with intent, and aggravated property damage.
On Tuesday, Acting Justice Peter Berman said the sentence was designed to "both punish him, and assist him enacting in a much better way in the future".
The judge outlined the facts of the crimes, which occurred in August last year when the man and his ex-partner were at a football match.
The woman was sitting in the grandstand area with their two daughters and their grandfather, while the offender was present separately with his family.
About 2.30pm the offender approached his ex-partner and demanded she give him her mobile phone and the passcode.
"This is serious controlling behaviour," Acting Justice Berman said.
"The response of the offender to what then occurred was very seriously criminal in nature."
The 21-year-old then left the football match, and went to Woolworths where he purchased a knife with a 13 centimetre-long blade.
He then returned to the game, found his ex-partner's car and punctured a tyre with the knife.
"Not content with having damaged the complainant's property, causing her both expense and inconvenience, he then committed further offences shortly afterwards," Acting Justice Berman said.
The man was soon approached by a female relative of his ex-partner, who warned him to stay away from her family.
"This was very good advice which the offender ignored," the judge stated.
In response, the offender removed the knife from his pants and pointed it at her "in a threatening manner".
Upon seeing this, the grandfather intervened.
In what Acting Justice Berman labelled "an elegant summary" of what was "seriously wrong" with the situation, the grandfather said: "This is shit, you've got babies here. Who brings a knife here?"
The offender then walked towards the other man and pointed the blade at him, saying: "I'm going to f---ing kill you, I'll put this knife in your f---ing neck."
Other relatives, bystanders and security guards intervened and the 21-year-old was escorted away.
As the offender left the football ground, he threw the knife into a stormwater drain.
Acting Justice Berman stated that while the children weren't present when the knife was brandished, "they were certainly nearby".
Legal Aid lawyer Georgia Le Couteur argued her client had undergone "significant change" since the crimes.
The court heard the offender was currently working as a labourer, but wanted to start an apprenticeship as a mechanic.
Ms Le Couteur said her client, who started drinking alcohol at 12-years-old, now "recognised the error of his ways".
Prosecutor Chamil Wanigaratne said the man had problems with anger management and impulse control.
Mr Wanigaratne labelled the act of slashing a tyre "very petty".
"We see these sorts of instances happening too often in the community," the prosecutor said.
"[People] carry out these petulant, petty, hostile acts, particularly when there are children involved.
"[This] sure would do a great deal of psychological damage to their children."
Mr Wanigaratne said he hoped the man would leave court thinking: "How will I be a better role model for my children?"
