Man jailed for knife threats against partner

Jailing Stephen Allen, Judge Kevin Finnegan QC told the west Belfast man: “I hope you are beginning to have some insight into the evil of your controlling behaviour.”

Allen, from Springfield Court, pleaded guilty to 16 offences arising from two separate incidents last year including kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault, making threats to kill and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

He will serve half his sentence in prison and half on licence.

Crown barrister James Johnston said that during the first incident on January 7, 2018, Allen grabbed his girlfriend, stood “chin to chin” with her then dragged her to her home against her will.

Armed with a knife, Allen told her to get her car keys and take him to another house in Mallusk, and warned that if she didn’t comply, he was going to hurt her.

Mr Johnston said Allen’s girlfriend was “petrified” during the journey, that Allen cut himself with the knife and that further threats were issued such as Allen telling her he was going to kill her then himself.

When the pair returned to the Falls area, she stopped her car and tried to run away, but Allen pulled her back into the car before running over the roof of the vehicle and damaging it with a knife.

With the young woman’s mother present in the house, Allen again issued threats and told his girlfriend “if I am going to die, I am going to take you with me”.

The second incident occurred on June 27, 2018, and started as the young woman was driving along the M1 towards Allen’s bail address in Newtownabbey.

During the journey, Allen became agitated and started to try and steer the car from the passenger seat. He then tried to pull the car onto a grass verge, and when the couple arrived at Glenville Park, he pulled a knife on her and threatened to kill her.

Once inside the flat, Allen set fire to bath mats which she had to stamp out and he also locked her in the bathroom for a period. At one stage, she managed to flee the flat but Allen grabbed her and trailed her back in.

Mr Johnston said the young woman “believed the threats to kill would be carried out.” He also pointed out the second incident occurred when Allen was on bail.