Court hears how Sunderland man threatened sister with a knife
A Sunderland man threatened his sister with a knife – causing her to hide in an upstairs room and call police - when he turned up at her home after taking cocaine, a court heard.
Jonathan Collier, 24, grabbed the blade from her kitchen and stood at the bottom of her stairs as she peered from the landing above at the property in Scruton Avenue, Plains Farm.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard the pair did not get on and she had made some cutting remarks about him when he arrived at 8.45am on Wednesday, August 13.
The court was told Collier, of Princess Street, Ashbrooke, suffers with mild learning difficulties and had been “mumbling” in his conversation.
Prosecutor Stephen Davies said: “The injured party is the sister of the defendant. It seems there has been a family breakdown and he was not allowed at the home address.
“He arrived at the address and appeared calm and his sister, who is an adult, allowed him to come in.
“As he did so, he said he had taken cocaine and balloons through the night. He mumbled and became agitated, and she went upstairs.
“She asked him, ‘What are you doing?' He mumbled and swore and she then asked him to leave the address.
“He came to the bottom of the stairs and he had a blade, a black handled knife which she recognised as being from her kitchen.
“She went into a room and locked herself in and called the police. She doesn’t know what happened but he left the address and was arrested.
“In interview he accepted being present but denied making threats to his sister. He has no previous convictions.”
Collier pleaded guilty to a charge of making threats with an offensive or a bladed weapon.
Chris Wilson, defending, confirmed Collier had mild learning difficulties, and said: “He had been using drugs the day prior.
“In attending the address, his sister remonstrated, there was an argument and she went upstairs.
“The defendant, having been subjected to ridicule at her hands, removed the kitchen knife and shouted up the stairs. She has dialled 999.
“If he could turn the clock back, he would. Before the court today is a young man who has no previous convictions.
“He’s aware that he and his sister don’t get on. The offence is quite clearly out of character.”
Magistrates adjourned the case for an all-options report and Collier will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, April 1.
He was granted bail on condition he does not contact his sister or attend her home.