A furious tenant with a "raging face" left two people terrified when he suddenly brandished a knife during a bad-tempered confrontation inside a house of multiple occupancy.
Fired-up and aggressive John Nichols angrily shouted "Do you want some of this?" after he became enraged about earlier problems with another tenant that had led to him being stabbed, Hull Crown Court heard.
Nichols, 41, of Goole, admitted threatening a person with a blade in a private place on November 29.
READ MORE:
Curtis Dunkley, prosecuting, said that Nichols lived in a multiple-occupancy house at the time and there had been ongoing problems between him and another resident.
The woman who managed the property sent a text message to Nichols about his rent money and she asked him to leave it out for collection. He told her: "Well, you're not getting it. That's the last he will threaten me now. He didn't realise I had a knife on me!"
She believed that this message related to the other tenant at the property and was about the previous problems. "Due to her concerns regarding that tenant's welfare, she attended the property with a friend to check on the tenant," said Mr Dunkley.
They arrived at about 7.50pm and spoke with the resident, who said that he had been involved in an argument with Nichols earlier in the day.
The woman and her friend went upstairs to speak with Nichols. They knocked on his door and he left the flat and threw the money at her while shouting and swearing at her. He returned inside his flat but seemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs as he was slurring his words to her and was unsteady on his feet.
The friend knocked on the door and he told Nichols not to speak to the woman like that and to stop sending her abusive text messages. Nichols opened his door and ran out of the flat towards him brandishing a kitchen knife of four to five inches.
He shouted: "Do you want some of this?" The man moved out of the way and ran down the stairs with the woman, who alerted the police. "The defendant returned to his flat," said Mr Dunkley.
Nichols was arrested at 8.20pm that day and he claimed that he had done nothing wrong. He made no comment to all questions during police interview.
Nichols had convictions for three previous offences, including criminal damage in January 2010 and October 2012 and benefit fraud in August 2017.
The woman later said that she was so frightened during the incident and feared for herself and her friend because Nichols was so threatening. "All she can see is his eyes and his raging face and she fears returning to the house and ever having to see the defendant again," said Mr Dunkley.
Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that the actions of Nichols were utterly unacceptable because of what he put the two people through. His behaviour was out of character and he was under the influence of alcohol.
There had been ongoing issues with a neighbour and Nichols had raised these with the woman. He had been the victim of a stabbing attack in the same property. "He hit his breaking point," said Miss Thompson.
Nichols had found a new home since May and there has been no further offending. He had shown genuine remorse, had insight into his behaviour and he had sought help for his alcohol problem.
Join our WhatsApp Community for the latest crime news
Judge John Thackray KC told Nichols: 'The public are understandably concerned about knife crime because it is on the increase. When people brandish knives in the sort of circumstances that you were in, matters escalate and, very quickly, before you know it, someone is either killed or seriously injured. It only takes one blow.
"There were no injuries here but that's only good fortune. The offence is a serious one. You have made some progress since the offence and you have a very limited history.
"If you get involved in anything like this again, you will inevitably face an immediate custodial sentence."
Nichols was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 20 days' rehabilitation and six months' alcohol treatment.
