A man has been jailed for threatening people with a carving knife after complaining about noise from a neighbour’s flat.
James Aubrey lived in a basement flat below Paul Day at an address in Bow Street, Springwood, Huddersfield.
“It would seem he was completely intolerant of any noise from Paul Day’s flat and had previously made threats of violence to him,” Dave Mackay prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.
On March 6, Mr Day had two visitors, Naomi Lofthouse and his uncle Jason Hinchcliffe, and they were in the area leading to a communal kitchen discussing what they were going to eat when Aubrey shouted up to them to shut up or “I’m going to come up there and smash your f...ing mouth in.”
Mr Mackay said Mr Day made the mistake of shouting down “come out and let’s talk like men.”
That was like “lighting a touch paper” to Aubrey who went upstairs into Mr Day’s flat.
He was armed with a carving knife which had 10-12 inch blade tucked down the waistband of his trousers and after pulling it out began to make threats waving it close to the face of Mr Hinchcliffe.
He said he was going to stab him in the neck and Mr Hinchcliffe describes him as "foaming at the mouth.”
He also threatened to get his gun from downstairs and shoot Mr Hinchcliffe in the head.
Mr Mackay said Mr Hinchcliffe’s bike was nearby and in “a gratuitous act” Aubrey stabbed the tyre causing £35 damage.
Tamara Pawson for Aubrey told the court: “He says there was a lot of noise frequently coming from above but he accepts his behaviour was wrong and his actions over the top.”
She said he realised alcohol was a problem and the incident that day was a trigger making him realise he needed help. He had already sought some aid and the probation service could do work with him while he remained in the community.
Aubrey, 41, now of Willow Lane, Fartown, admitted affray.
Jailing him for 18 months Recorder Simon Eckersley said there had to be an immediate jail term. “One can only imagine how terrifying this was for those present. Knife crime is a blight, it is only a matter of luck you did not cause injury.”
“People should know if they take knives in the circumstances you did, going into someone’s home and threatening them, that custody is inevitable.”
