Suspended jail term for Sleaford man who went to ex-wife’s house with knife

Allister Graham, 50, of Albion Terrace, was appearing for sentence following his guilty pleas in early February to two charges of possessing bladed articles, one of criminal damage, one of threatening behaviour and an excess alcohol driving offence.

Prosecuting at Boston Magistrates Court, Paul Wood said that earlier in the evening of January 16, Graham had attempted to speak to his ex-wife’s husband of eight years, Nicholas Statham, through Mr Statham’s car window but, as Graham appeared to be drunk, he refused to get out of his car and drove away.

Mr Wood said that, later, Graham appeared at Mr and Mrs Statham’s home in Kirkby la Thorpe where he tapped on a window with a knife saying ‘Get that c*** out here now’.

He said the family locked the doors but Graham was then seen to cut the wing mirrors off and smash several windows on Mr Graham’s van that was parked in the driveway, whilst issuing verbal threats towards him.

Mr Wood said the police were called and Graham’s car was searched, where they found a kitchen knife and a pruning saw.

He said Graham was also given a breathalyser test, which was positive, later providing a reading of 84 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

He said that when interviewed by the police, Graham said he had gone to Mr Statham’s home to ‘have it out’ with him and because he could not find his hammer before he left his home, he had picked up a kitchen knife.

He also said the pruning saw was already in the car.

Mitigating, Rebecca Freitas said Graham, who has no previous convictions, was fuelled by the alcohol he had taken and now admitted he had an alcohol problem.

She said Graham had gone to Mr Statham’s home because he had not stopped to talk to him earlier.

She said he was almost certainly going to lose his job as a result of the incident and would also no longer be able to afford his rent so would lose his home.

“He is completely embarrassed by his behaviour” she said.

The magistrates said they were ‘very serious offences’ which had passed the custody threshold.

Graham was sentenced to a total of four months in prison suspended for a year and ordered to undertake 20 days of rehabilitation and to wear an electronically monitored alcohol tag for five months.

He was also ordered to pay £800 compensation for the damage to Mr Statham’s van and for the excess alcohol offence he was banned from driving for 20 months but was offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course, which will reduce the period of the ban by five months.

The magistrates also issued a restraining order to prevent Graham from contacting Mr Statham or going to Kirkby la Thorpe, and only to contact Mrs Statham in certain specified circumstances.