He also told a member of the public he was ‘going to Bransholme to kill my wife’ and showed them a knife
Andrew Malone appeared at Hull Crown Court(Image: Humberside Police)
A heavy-drinking bully angrily warned that he would kill his wife – and caused serious alarm when he made the menacing threat: “How about I come and stab you all?” Ex-plasterer Andrew Malone left members of his family “greatly frightened” by his threats and fearing that he would carry them out, Hull Crown Court heard.
Malone, 51, of Coltman Street, west Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted harassing his wife between February 1 and 20 last year. He also admitted sending a communication threatening death or serious harm – that he would stab his daughter and her entire family – on November 15.
Malone admitted making a threat to a member of the public that he would kill his wife on November 19. He also admitted having a blade on the same day.
Timothy Jacobs, prosecuting, said that, during February last year, Malone made threats towards his wife. The relationship ended during March last year. “Following the breakdown of the relationship, several times he made threats to the police threatening to harm his wife, resulting in welfare checks,” said Mr Jacobs.
On November 15, Malone made a telephone call in which he threatened his daughter: “How about I come and stab you all?” She was scared that he would come and hurt her.
On November 19, he contacted her again, accused her of breaking a TV and called her an insulting name. On November 19, Malone was on Anlaby Road, west Hull, and he was apparently drunk when he knocked on a woman’s car door.
He told her that she should call the police because he was going to kill his wife. She tried to ignore him but he came back to the window and showed that he was holding a kitchen knife with a five-inch blade.
He asked her if she would be happy to have it on her conscience that he had killed his wife and he asked her if she had called the police. He told her: “I’m going to do it. I’m going to Bransholme to kill my wife.”
The police were alerted. Malone identified himself to them. He told them that he had a knife and wanted to use it but he had thrown it into a bush.
It had not been recovered. Malone had convictions for four previous offences, including two assault offences.
Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Malone would never have gone so far as to carry out the threats that he made. He pleaded guilty at a very early opportunity.
“The offending was unpleasant,” said Mr Shipley. “It’s despicable. It’s unpleasant for all involved. The offending is out of character for him. He expresses how sorry he is for his actions.”
Malone had been married for 24 years, and the couple had been together for 26 years. “After the breakdown of his marriage, his drinking increased even further,” said Mr Shipley. “He was trying to cope with loneliness. He thought it was the correct decision to continue to drink even more.”
“Alcohol has always been a feature of his life from the age of around 12 years of age. In the end, alcohol took hold of him.” He now accepted that the relationship was over.
Malone had been a plasterer and he would drink after work but, during the pandemic, he began drinking to excess through not being able to work. He had been in custody since November 21.
Recorder Felicity Davies said that the stabbing threat made the woman who heard it and others very fearful. “They would have been greatly frightened by the threats that you had made,” said Recorder Davies.
Malone was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, 12 days’ rehabilitation and 26 sessions of a probation service domestic abuse programme. He was given a two-year restraining order.