He warned her that he would ‘make the news the same night’, Hull Crown Court heard
A menacing bully who left a terrified woman fearing that she would be killed – after he threatened to murder her, cut her head off and “become the next Raoul Moat” – has been spared prison. Aggressive boyfriend Christopher Fletcher warned her that he would “make the news the same night” and he likened himself to a notorious gunman who shot dead one man and wounded his ex-girlfriend and a policeman before shooting himself.
The distressed woman feared that he was capable of carrying out his chilling threats, Hull Crown Court heard. Fletcher, 40, of Dagger Lane, Hull, admitted making threats to kill the woman on August 14, 2023.
Jeremy Barton, prosecuting, told a previous hearing that the couple were in a relationship but there was an unhappy background between them and Fletcher took advantage of her. He made threats to the probation service that he was going to cause her great harm.
He threatened to cut her head off after murdering her and said that he would be “the next Raoul Moat” – a reference to the cold-blooded gunman who shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend with a sawn-off shotgun, killed her new boyfriend and wounded and permanently blinded a policeman in 2010. He went on the run for nearly a week and later killed himself.
Fletcher told the woman that he would murder her and that he “would make the news the same night”. His behaviour made her feel ill and caused her to suffer depression.
“These threats sounded so real to the victim in this case and she believed that he was capable of following them through,” said Mr Barton. “He wore her down over time. She began to perform badly at work. She had a constant feeling of anxiety, wondering what the defendant would do next.”
The woman had since installed a video camera at her home because of her heightened anxiety. She was on edge just in daily life. “The offences caused serious distress and practical harm to the victim,” said Mr Barton.
Fletcher was arrested but he made no comment to all questions during police interview. He had convictions for 21 previous convictions, including matters of violence and threats to cause violence.
His convictions included robbery, assault causing actual bodily harm, harassment, assaulting a police officer as an emergency worker and breaching a restraining order. Sentence was deferred at a hearing on May 30 for Fletcher to prove that he could stay out of trouble.
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, told a resumed hearing that Fletcher had “done everything that was required of him” after sentence was deferred and he had been regularly seeking appointments with the probation service so that he could get the necessary work done.
He had the support of his family. “He is still on an upwards trajectory,” said Miss Lee. At the previous hearing, she said that it was a very short relationship between Fletcher and the woman.
“He accepts that he was less than pleasant and that he was no angel,” said Miss Lee. Problems reared their head in an “ugly manner” and Fletcher sent unpleasant messages but the vast majority of them were sent to the probation service.
“They are threats of significant violence,” said Miss Lee. “He has expressed remorse and frustration at himself. He accepts these would have been frightening for her – but it was frightening for himself.
“He describes it as his head being completely gone. She had expressed a wish to separate from him. He completely spiralled out of all control. He had no intention of carrying out any of these threats.
“He accepts that they would have been frightening and were completely uncalled for. He has been given chances by the courts.”
Recorder Ayesha Smart told Fletcher that he had an “unnerving” interest in Raoul Moat and he made threats to kill against his then girlfriend. She “wholly believed” that he would carry this through.
“You have a nasty record for offences of violence,” said Recorder Smart. Fletcher had shown “abusive behaviour” towards his girlfriend and there were threats of “significant violence” against a background of abuse towards her. He was now on medication.
Fletcher was given a 21-month suspended prison sentence, a six-month monitoring order and 20 days’ rehabilitation. He was given a 10-year restraining order.
“I am prepared to step back from an immediate custodial sentence,” said Recorder Smart. Fletcher was warned that he faced being jailed if he did not comply with the suspended sentence. “If you breach it, you will be back before the court and the sentence could be activated,” said Recorder Smart.