Man ‘terrifies’ his wife and son with a loaded shotgun in drunken rage
MAN JAILED AFTER FRIGHTENING INCIDENT
A MAN has been jailed after he threatened his wife and son with a loaded double-barrel shotgun during a drunken rage.
Stephen Atkinson, 51, “terrified” his family in their own farmhouse and told his wife “don’t f **** ing touch it” when she tried to thrust the weapon away from her face.
Atkinson, of Churchill, Grindale, near Bridlington, discharged his gun in another room before angrily telling his son-in-law on the phone that he was “off to kill someone”.
His son-in-law replied to say that he would come over to the farmhouse before Atkinson said “you will be the one that gets shot then”, Hull Crown Court heard on Friday.
The frightening events of February 13, left his family barricading themselves in a bedroom and were later rescued by police who arrested Atkinson before he could do any further harm.
Prosecutor Phillip Evans said there was video footage of the attack on Atkinson’s 19-year-old son and wife.
“The defendant’s daughter and son-in-law live nearby in the same village. On February 13, 2020, [the son] heard items being thrown about downstairs as well as the sound of a breaking of a window and Stephen Aktinson cut his hand as he did this,” said Mr Evans.
“[The defendant’s wife] had gone to bed, but the commotion that the defendant was making had woken her and she telephoned her daughter to tell her of the rage that the defendant was in and during that call there was the sound of a gunshot being discharged.
“Mrs Atkinson said to her daughter ‘oh my God, I’ve heard a gunshot’ and this was of a particular concern because the defendant has in the past taken to threatening to take his own life.
“[The daughter] was so worried that she called the police and as she did so, her husband called the defendant on his mobile.
“He tried to distract the defendant’s attention by saying he thought he heard intruders at the farm and asked if the defendant would like to check that out.
“The defendant’s reply was ‘yes, I’m off to kill someone’ and [the son-in-law] offered to come to the farm to help and was told by the defendant ‘you will be the one that gets shot then’ in a manner that was described as loud, angry and abrupt.
“In the farmhouse, Mrs Atkinson had moved from her own bedroom to join her son in his room and then the defendant came in to [the son’s] bedroom holding a loaded double barrel shotgun, the safety catch, to which, was off.
“[The wife] said to her husband ‘are you going to shoot me?’ and said ‘your son is here.’
“The defendant replied ‘I don’t care who is here’ and [the wife] put her hand out to deflect the barrel of the gun which was pointing toward her - ‘don’t f **** ing touch it’ - said the defendant and there followed a separate conversation in which Mr Aktinson asked his wife ‘where are we?,’ ‘you don’t know where we are, do you?’
“He called his wife stupid - ‘it’s your problem you don’t listen, you think you’re perfect, you think you’re just like your mother’ and this was a touchy subject as [the wife] has lost her mother. “In the end, the defendant said ‘it’s too late and time to go’ and with that he walked out and with that [the son] did not know what his father was about to do”.
Mr Evans said the police had by then arrived at the farmhouse and found the son and wife barricaded in the bedroom with the door locked and the sofa pushed in front of the door to prevent access.
He also said that the defendant was asleep in his own bed with the loaded gun “in arms reach” and as well as taking this gun and arresting Atkinson, the police seized other legally owned weapons of the defendant including three shotguns, two air-rifles and a large quantity of ammunition.
Defending Atkinson, Mr Philip told the court that he had no previous convictions and good character references and had entered a guilty plea as soon as he could and asked for full credit to be given.
“In some cases, more experienced criminals may take advantage of the family relationship by entering not guilty pleas and testing the bonds of family, but in this case the early guilty plea will have reassured all members of the defendant’s family that they would not be required to attend court for a trial,” said Mr Philip.
“It also shows them that the defendant is aware of the seriousness of his offending.
“The offence passes the custody threshold, but given the impeccable character of the defendant and the early guilty plea there could be a suspended sentence put in place.
“The explicit threat was over the telephone and it was brief incident towards his son and wife and there was no explicit threat towards them.”
Sentencing Atkinson to two years behind bars, His Honour Judge Thackray QC said that his family must have been “terrified” by his actions and also put in place a restraining order “indefinitely” so that the defendant cannot contact his wife, except through his solicitor.
He also ordered confiscation and destruction of Atkinson’s weapons.
“You are 51 years old and you are to be sentenced for possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. You have pleaded guilty, have no previous convictions and impressive character references.
“This was a terrifying incident and there can be few things more frightening, more dangerous, than an angry man in drink making threats and in possession of a loaded shotgun. Your family members must have been terrified.
“Your case is aggravated by the fact that it took place within a domestic setting, because of the breach of trust. Wives and partners are entitled to feel safe and secure in their own home and the court must do its part to protect family members from such incidents and properly punish those who commit them.
“The absence of a statement from your wife describing the terror you caused does not prevent the court from concluding those family members were terrified.
“The weapon involved was a lawfully owned shotgun and it was loaded with the safety catch off and there was an explicit threat to [the son-in law], but I bear in mind that was over the telephone.
“More frightening was the obvious implicit threat to your wife in the presence of your son”.