A man who held a knife to his stepson’s throat at the family’s West Cumbria home has been jailed for almost a year.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Paul Carruthers’s violent behaviour, on 13th August last year, was linked to a deterioration of his mental health and came after the breakdown of his 16-year marriage.
Carruthers, 56, moved out but returned to his wife’s Distington address while she was out. Her adult son woke to find Carruthers standing over him in a “rage”.
Having made an untidy search, Carruthers was given some personal documents which had been upstairs in the property but then produced a knife which he held to his stepson’s throat.
“He was frightened and feared for his safety,” prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told Carlisle Crown Court of the victim today.
“The defendant told him he was going to ‘do them all in’.”
Carruthers made threats to harm family members before leaving the house, making a slicing movement across his throat in the direction of his ex-wife as she returned home.
She was heard in a “distressed and terrified” state during a 999 call.
Carruthers later pleaded guilty to affray and a public order offence.
He was sentenced by Recorder Tom Gilbart, who considered background reports and learned the defendant had suffered from mental health problems for many years, and experienced other personal trauma.
Recorder Gilbart imposed an immediate 11-month jail term after hearing his condition had improved while on remand in custody.
“This was a frightening and unpleasant incident for your victims,” the judge told Carruthers, latterly of Main Street, Distington.
