Sunderland prisoner made death threats to probation officials because he refused to live in hostel with ‘nonces’

Stephen McEvoy was serving a jail term for biting a police officer's leg at a woman's house in Sunderland, where he was banned from being, when he was informed he would have to live in hostel premises when he got out.

Over the following months, the 51-year-old launched a tirade of terrifying threats to kill two probation officers.

Newcastle Crown Court heard during a conversation in December 2020, while still in prison, McEvoy was told the name of the probation official who would manage him while he lived at the approved hostel after release.

But prosecutor Lee Fish told the court McEvoy warned he would "stab, slice and cut" the throat of his designated community offender manager and left the meeting.

Mr Fish told the court: "The conversation covered arrangements to be made for his release. The defendant was told he would be placed in an approved hostel,which his the normal procedure."

Mr Fish said McEvoy was given the name of the person who would manage him and added: "He made repeated threats to kill him, saying he would take him hostage and stab, slice and cut his throat.

"He said he didn't care about the consequences of making threats then left."

The court heard on June 2 last year McEvoy was told he had been allocated a new offender manager, who was female, for after his release.

Mr Fish said: "He again became irate and abusive and screamed he would slit her throat as well."

When spoken to again later that same day, McEvoy became irate again and warned "I will rip her ******* head off" and vowed that he would not care if he had to go back to prison, adding: "This time it will be for murder."

He told officials: "I don't care what you do to me, you are not putting me in there where there are nonces."

Mr Fish said when the female offender manager assigned to him tried to have a video meeting with McEvoy inside the prison he pulled his trousers down and displayed his bare bottom to her.

The court heard McEvoy was released from prison in August 2021 and made further threats to the female offender manager when he arrived at the bail hostel.

He told staff: "I said I would kill her and I would.

"I hope she dies of a disease, hope she dies in a car accident."

McEvoy repeated his threat to "slit her throat" and said he was not bothered if it resulted in a life sentence.

The female probation officer who was the subject of the threats said they made her "alarmed", particularly as they continued after his release.

She said: "It was then I became more concerned about my safety and it was then the threats felt real."

McEvoy, of no fixed address, who has previous convictions for violence and harassment, admitted five charges of making threats to kill.

Joe Culley, defending, said McEvoy is prone to "outbursts" but is capable of behaving in a calm way.

Judge Tim Gittins sentenced McEvoy to 20 months behind bars.]

He told him: "Your reaction to being told you were going to a hostel placement was not only unacceptable but very frightening in the graphic threats to kill those who may manage you.

"The probation staff, who were doing no more than their jobs, were understandably concerned that your threats were genuine, not least because of your demeanour and your previous convictions."

McEvoy, who repeatedly interrupted the hearing while appearing via video link to prison, appeared to put two fingers up to the camera at the end of the case.