Thug in threat to ‘chop up’ mum and her children
AKNIFE- WIELDING thug who threatened to ‘chop up’ a mother and her children after bursting into their house has avoided jail.
Paul Handley, 30, kicked through the front door of Charlotte Harvey’s home on Thorn Bank in Bacup shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day looking for her partner Ryan Dewhurst.
However when Miss Harvey said he wasn’t in, Handley replied: “Are you sure? You better be or I will chop you and your kids up.”
Miss Harvey later told police: “I honestly thought he was going to kill me and my kids,” Burnley Crown Court was told.
Binman Handley, of Huttock End Lane, Bacup, pleaded guilty to affray and having a bladed article and was given a two-year suspended sentence with unpaid work and a restraining order.
AKNIFE- WIELDING thug who threatened to ‘chop up’ a mother and her children after bursting into their house has avoided jail.
Paul Handley kicked through the front door of victim Charlotte Harvey’s home on Thorn Bank in Bacup shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day.
Burnley Crown Court heard how the 30-year-old was looking for the victim’s boyfriend Ryan Dewhurst, and when Miss Harvey said he wasn’t in Handley replied: “Are you sure? You better be or I will chop you and your kids up.”
Handley, of Huttock End Lane, Bacup, pleaded guilty to affray and having a bladed article.
He was given a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years, with a fiveyear restraining order, 150 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £450 costs.
Michael Goldwater, prosecuting, told the court how Handley went round to the victim’s house after Mr Dewhurst had earlier attended the home of next door neighbour Adam Burke to ‘get some cannabis’.
The prosecutor said Mr Dewhurst returned at 10.30pm on New Year’s Eve and told his partner Ms Harvey to ‘keep the door locked as it had just kicked off next door’ and he was leaving to stay at his mother’s for the night.
The court heard how binman worker Handley, who has 25 previous convictions for 54 offences, knocked on Ms Harvey’s door at 12.30am on Janu- ary 1 before kicking it four times and breaking in.
Mr Goldwater said Handley was holding a 10-inch knife in his right hand and asked Ms Harvey ‘Where is he?’
When she said Mr Dewhurst was out Handley replied ‘Are you sure? You better be or I will chop you and your kids up’.
The court heard how he then asked the victim ‘have you got any money?’ to which she replied ‘no’.
Mr Goldwater said Mr Burke, who was stood behind Handley during the incident, then ‘ took hold of the defendant by the hand and pulled him back’ before they left the house.
Ms Harvey later told the police: “‘I honestly thought he was going to kill me and my kids.
“He had no right barging in here threatening me and asking for money. He knows I have kids.
“He didn’t even appear drunk. He knew what he was doing.”
Ms Harvey said the incident lasted around two minutes. Handley was later identified at a police VIPER parade.