'I was seriously scared that I would die': Thug threatened to slit woman's throat with knife during neighbour dispute on Leeds street

A woman feared her throat was going to be slit by a man who grabbed her and held a knife to her throat outside her home in Leeds.
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Christopher Roberts threatened the victim with a chef knife when she challenged him for being in her elderly neighbour's garden.

Roberts threatened to stab other residents on Lea Farm Place, Hawksworth, before police were called to his girlfriend's home where they arrested him.

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Leeds Crown Court heard the 37-year-old shouted homophobic abuse at a police officer who helped to arrest him and recover the weapon from the property.

Christopher Roberts threatened to stab a resident on Lea Farm Place, Hawksworth.Christopher Roberts threatened to stab a resident on Lea Farm Place, Hawksworth.
Christopher Roberts threatened to stab a resident on Lea Farm Place, Hawksworth.

Anna Bond, prosecuting, said the disturbance happened on February 26 this year while he was staying with his partner.

The victim approached him after seeing him in an elderly resident's garden.

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"He pulled a large chef knife from his waistband and walked to (the victim) before holding the knife to her throat."

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The woman gave a statement after the incident, saying: "I was seriously scared I would have my throat slit and that I would die."

The woman tried to reach for her mobile phone but Roberts stopped her.

He then went back into his partner's home after threatening to stab "everyone" in the street.

Police officers used riot shields to gain entry to the property.

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Roberts shouted a homophobic word at a male officer at least 40 times during the incident.

He pleaded guilty to affray, possessing a blade in public and threatening behaviour.

He was the subject of a suspended sentence order at the time of the incident for making threats and urinating in a camping shop in Leeds, as well as carrying a knife in a Poundland store.

Abbi Whelan, mitigating, said the incident happened after his partner had been in a dispute with her neighbours.

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The barrister said: "He is a man who struggles with alcohol misuse and struggles to control his temper and behaviour when he is under the influence of alcohol."

Judge Simon Batiste jailed Roberts for two years.

He told the defendant: "This was a highly threatening situation.

"You were in drink and you have an extremely long history of violence."