A mum was left horrified after her son tied her up, threatened to pour boiling water over her and demanded £10k be transferred to his bank account. Michal Strehlau, 27, kept his own mother prisoner in her home for hours before she managed to escape the horrific ordeal.
The incident occurred last year in Hull, when the drunken amphetamine user flipped out on his parent after going to her home. The 27-year-old kept her prisoner for three hours and 40 minutes before she finally managed to untie herself and escape through a living room window.
After the incident, Strehlau later secretly returned to his mum's home and hid in the loft space. Hull Live reports he then later emerged to steal food and have a bath while she was out.
At Hull Crown Court, Strehlau admitted to attempted robbery and false imprisonment of his mother on October 2, 2022. Amber Hobson, prosecuting, says that Strehlau's mother had asked him to move out of her home prior to the ordeal.
The prosecutor claims the mother had changed her locks at the property but the defendant went there anyway. Strehlau had reportedly been drinking and taking drugs on the day of the incident and believed that is mother had hidden beer from him.
Miss Hobson said: "He became aggressive and shouted." An hour later, he then asked his mother to transfer some money to him.
Miss Hobson added: "He locked the doors of the house and put the keys in his pocket. He asked first for £8,000, then £9,000 and then £10,000. The defendant took the complainant's mobile phone and said: 'Transfer the money from your account to mine'. She refused and the defendant tried to do it himself."
Strehlau later became more aggressive and returned with two computer cables. He then told his mother that he was going to tie her up and that, if she shouted, he would gag her.
The terrified woman went along with this out of fear of what might happen if she did not and the defendant tied his mother up by her arms and legs. The 27-year-old then tried to transfer the money from her bank account but, while he was doing so, she managed to untie herself without him realising.
He then threatened to boil some water and scald her. Miss Hobson said: "The defendant then went into the kitchen and she heard him pour water into a kettle and the beeping of her cooker. She decided to escape and climbed out of her living room window. She ran to the home of a friend."
She then called the police, who later found a pan of water on the stove at her home. On October 5, the mother told police that she had found the bath wet and that scissors, cheese and ham were missing. She believed that her son was in her loft space following the incident days prior. Following the tip-off, police looked there and found food.
Police removed floorboards from the flat above the loft space and then heard banging. The prosecutor added: "The officers shouted for the defendant to reveal himself. After 10 minutes or so, the defendant agreed to leave the loft and he was then arrested."
The mother later said that she would like her son to return home and that she loved him. Miss Hobson said: "She says that her son has told her that he is sorry and she believes he has been punished enough."
Strehlau had convictions for three previous offences, being drunk and disorderly and obstructing a constable in 2018 and criminal damage in March 2021.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said: "This was appalling behaviour towards his mother. This is by no means an excuse but the defendant was labouring at the time under drink and drug misuse. He intends now never to drink again or to use drugs, which he is now free from.
"He wants to express his remorse to her and he says, with some sincerity, that he will never behave in this manner again towards his mother. He has no previous convictions in relation to his mother. This behaviour is out of character."
Judge Michael Fanning told Strehlau: "You had taken amphetamine and alcohol. You know that the mix makes you angry and you get ideas that you would never get if you were sober. She went along with the detention out of fear that she would be assaulted. It was relatively prolonged and there was the restraint and detention.
"There was the threat of using boiling water. You pose a wider risk to the general public. The facts of this offence are truly frightening. You casually accept that you were going to slightly choke your mother to frighten her. The threat to pour boiling water on her is abhorrent.
"A determination not to drink or take drugs on release is not something I consider likely. I am satisfied that you are, by definition, a dangerous offender."
Strehlau was jailed for four years and will be on extended licence of two years after his release from prison.
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