Jailed for assault and taking knife in hunt for love rival

He used it to attempt to get into the friend’s flat, with the broken-off tip found on the floor near the flat door.

He was jailed for a total of 30 months by the Royal Court, 16 for assaulting the woman and 14 for having the knife.

The court heard that Allen, who pleaded guilty, had had a drug problem for 25 years and suffered from a depressive disorder.

Judge Russell Finch, sentencing, said these were serious and frightening incidents, with no suggestion of psychosis on the defendant’s part.

The court had a duty to prevent assaults on partners and violation of people in their own homes.

The court was told that Allen, 37, and the woman had been in a relationship for about four years.

The break-up was amicable though and he was staying with her when the incidents occurred in April.

Crown Advocate Chris Dunford told the court how, in the early hours of the morning, the two had argued over the woman’s relationship with the friend.

He became aggressive and pushed her on to the bed. He held her down by the throat, punched her to the side of her head, and bit her wrist.

The woman followed Allen downstairs as she wanted him to leave.

A second altercation took place by the door in which he grabbed her hair and pulled her to the floor.

When he demanded her car keys, the woman told him she had thrown them out of a window. The defendant found her spare keys and got into her car.

The woman said she got in the car and begged him not to drive, but he tried to pull her out by her feet so she just gave up and got out.

She noticed he was holding a bottle of Prosecco wine from her house and thought she saw a knife. She said he was not normally like that and was a good dad to their child.

The defendant drove to a multi-occupancy property in Sausmarez Street where the friend lived. The man heard someone banging on the door and challenging him to a fight.

After Allen had been pounding on the man’s door for about five minutes, he called the police. When they arrived at about 4.35am, they found Allen outside the property. He was nervous, emotional, sweating and red-faced. He said he had wanted to talk to the other man.

They could smell alcohol and the defendant said he had smashed the bottle of Prosecco against a wall. Officers saw the glass on the floor. The defendant was breath-tested but that proved negative.

He told them that they would find a knife in the hall with his fingerprints on. It was established that Allen had used the knife to force the outside door open and there were marks on the door to his friend’s flat consistent with stabbing, along with damage to the frame.

Allen told officers that his ex-partner had admitted sleeping with his friend and he had taken her phone so she would not be able to call him.

He would not sign the officer’s notebook to confirm the comments and said he wanted to see a psychiatrist.

He spent 11 days as a voluntary patient at the Oberlands Centre. Psychiatrist Dr S. Rahman said the defendant was at a heightened sense of emotion, tearful, and low in mood.

Allen said he intended to kill the other man. Advocate Dunford said that while the defendant accepted making the comment, he had denied any intention to carry the threat through and the prosecution were content for him to be sentenced on that basis.

Defence advocate Liam Roffey said his client had had a drug problem for 25 years. He and his partner had split up in April/May last year but had still got on well.

His client had a long-standing depressive disorder and at one point was reported as a missing person after leaving a suicide note. In April, for whatever reason, things had taken a dip for him.

Counsel asked the court to note that the woman said his client had not hit her hard and she had not thought he was trying to hurt her.

AFTER assaulting his ex-partner, a man directed his anger towards a long-time friend.

The Royal Court was told how Russ Philip Allen, 37, and the woman had been in a relationship for about four years.

The break-up was amicable though and he was staying with her when the incidents occurred in April this year.

Crown Advocate Chris Dunford told the court how, in the early hours of the morning, the two had argued over the woman’s relationship with Allen’s long-time friend, He became aggressive and pushed her on to the bed. He held her down by the throat, punched her to the side of her head, and bit her wrist. The woman followed the defendant downstairs as she wanted him to leave. A second altercation took place by the door in which he grabbed her hair and pulled her to the floor.

When he demanded her keys, the woman told him she had thrown them out of a window. The defendant found her spare keys and got into the woman’s car. The woman said she got in the car and begged him not to drive but he tried to pull her out by her feet and she just gave up and got out. She noticed he was holding a bottle of Prosecco from her house and thought she saw a knife.

She said he was not normally like that and was a good dad to their child.

The defendant drove to a multi-occupancy property in Sausmarez Street where the second victim lived. The man heard someone banging on the door and challenging him to a fight. After the defendant had been pounding on the man’s door for about five minutes, the man called the police. When they arrived at about 4.35am they found Allen outside the property. He was nervous, emotional, sweating and red faced. He said he had wanted to talk to the other man.

They could smell alcohol and the defendant said he had smashed the bottle of Prosecco against a wall. Officers saw the glass on the floor. The defendant was breath tested but that proved negative. He told them that they would find a knife in the hall with his fingerprints on. It was established that the defendant had used the knife to force the outside door open and there was marks on the door do his friend’s flat consistent with stabbing, along with damage to the frame. The tip of the knife that had been broken off was at the door of his friend’s flat. The defendant told officers that his ex-partner had admitted sleeping with his friend and he had taken her phone so she would not be able to call him. He would not sign the officer’s notebook to confirm the comments and said he wanted to see a psychiatrist. He then spent 11 days as a voluntary patient at the Oberlands. Dr S. Rahman said the defendant was at a heightened sense of emotion, tearful, and low in mood. The defendant said he intended to kill the other man.

Advocate Dunford said that while the defendant accepted making the comment, he had denied in intention to carry the threat through and the prosecution were content for him to be sentenced on the basis.

The defendant was opiate dependant and had issues with alcohol and gambling addiction.

Advocate Liam Roffey said his client had had a drug problem for 25 years. He and his partner had split up in April/May last year but had still got on well. His client had a long standing depressive disorder and at one point was reported as a missing person after leaving a suicide note. In April this year, for whatever reason, things had taken a dip for him.

Counsel asked the court to note that the woman said his client had not hit her hard and she had not thought he was trying to hurt her.

In the court’s sentencing statement, Judge Russell Finch said these were serious and frightening incidents, with no suggestion of psychosis on the defendant’s part. The court had a duty to prevent assaults on partners and violation of people in their own homes.

Allen was sentenced to 16 months in prison for assaulting the woman. Sentences of seven days and six months were imposed for stealing Prosecco from her and taking her car without permission respectively. All were concurrent.

He was also sentenced to six months for causing criminal damage to two doors and 14 months for having a bladed article, namely the knife. Those were concurrent to each other but consecutive to the others making a total of 30 months.

Guilty pleas were entered to each and a charge of burglary was dropped.