Dad rang 999 to say: 'I'm going to kill ex' (From Warrington Guardian)

Dad rang 999 to say: 'I'm going to kill ex'

A FATHER-of-two who called 999 and threatened to kill his ex-fianc because she denied him access to his young daughters has been sentenced.

Robert Paul Knight, 43, a postmaster from Lilac Drive, Northwich, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, having admitted making a threat to kill.

Michael Kerruish-Jones, prosecuting, played the recording of the 999 call from August 1 in which he said: "There's no emergency but there will be tomorrow...I'm going to kill my ex...I'm going to put a knife straight through her throat."

He added: "No, I don't require police, I require a psychiatrist. She's taken my kids."

Police arrived at his home at 9pm that night, where they found him drunk and arrested him for making threats to kill. In reply he showed them a case of knives and hatchets, which they confiscated.

When interviewed he told police he made the call because he was drunk and upset because he had been denied access to his three-year-old and six-year-old daughters by his ex-girlfriend Emma Dufton.

Gareth Roberts, defending, said Knight was usually a productive and upstanding member of the community.

He added: "He had been as successful in his personal life until this time last year, when after a family argument his fiance left him and didn't contact him. There was finally some contact between him and his children from December, but then Miss Dufton refused him access from April.

"He has not been allowed to see his daughters for 16 weeks and as he said in the call they have been '16 weeks of hell'."

His Honour Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said: "He blames his family, he blames his ex-partner, he blames everyone but himself."

He told Knight: "The relationship with your children could be at a point of complete breakdown if you don't pull yourself together. You have an alcohol problem which you need to accept and if you had the slightest interest in those children you would stop drinking altogether."

He sentenced Knight to a two-year supervision order, in which he would have to attend a programme to deal with domestic violence.

Knight was ordered to complete 150 hours' community service and pay £262 in prosecution costs.