A drunken thug armed himself with a knife and threatened to kill his uncle after downing 10 pints of beer. Gareth Bolton left children and families at a BBQ terrified as he confronted his uncle when a heated family argument on Easter Sunday spiralled out of control.
Bolton, 28, had gone to his uncle's home to seek out information about another person but was left fuming when he did not get it. He warned nearby families to "get them kids away" before threatening his uncle with a serrated knife.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, told Hull Crown Court that Bolton went to his uncle's home in 26th Avenue, Hull, at 8pm on April 17, seeking information about another person. When his uncle did not tell him what he wanted to know an argument and a fight broke out, Hull Live reports.
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Bolton was escorted and evicted from the house and went a short distance to his home before returning carrying a serrated knife belonging to his mother. "As he approached the property, he brandished the knife brazenly," said Mr Bradford.
There was a family barbecue going on nearby and Bolton shouted: "Get them kids away so they won't see what's going to happen." Parents rushed the children inside, with Bolton only yards away.
"The level of fear those parents must have felt can only be imagined," said Mr Bradford. "This wasn't quick, it wasn't instant, it was drawn out."
When Bolton reached the house, he began banging on the door and screamed threats at the occupants, saying that he was going to kill them. Despite the banging, those inside did open the door and Bolton went towards his uncle with the serrated knife. The man was able to defend himself by hitting Bolton with a torch.
Bolton later admitted to police that he had drunk 10 pints of beer but denied having a knife with him or leaving home with one. He had convictions for eight previous offences, including five in November of assaulting an emergency worker on the same day.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said that Bolton, a self-employed labourer with two children, had been suffering from problems at the time, which he had been trying to resolve with the help of alcohol, but he was now no longer dependent on drink. "This was an appalling offence against members of the defendant's own family and he bitterly regrets that," said Miss Kioko-Gilligan.
"This behaviour was wholly out of character. He acknowledges that the root of his offending has been issues associated with alcohol abuse." Both sides had put matters behind them and continued with their good relationship.
Judge Sophie McKone told Bolton: "You went home and armed yourself with a very dangerous weapon and then you took that into the street, which was busy with children and families who were celebrating Easter.
"It must have been terrifying for those families and for those children and they did their best to get them away from you with that knife. You were clearly aware of the effect you were having on people in that street.
"When you were banging on the door, you were threatening to kill people inside. That must have been a very frightening experience."
When somebody was armed with a knife and had been drinking, there was always a high risk of somebody being injured or killed, even though that might not have been the intention.
"It was committed in front of children," said Judge McKone. "There was serious alarm and distress. There was a risk of serious disorder."
Bolton, of Milldane, Hull, was jailed for 16 months after he admitted affray and making threats with an offensive weapon. "Going onto the street with a knife on the presence of children and other people is too serious for it to be suspended," added Judge McKone.
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