Drunken man held axe to partner's throat and threatened to chop off her limbs

Steven Greenhalgh, 42, has been arguing with his partner in the early hours of December 29 last year over whether he had been using heroin, prosecutor David Hewitt told Leeds Crown Court.

Greenhalgh then stormed off upstairs and returned with the wooden-handled axe, which was said to be about 80cm in length and put it his terrified partner's neck telling her "You just need to go".

He then called the police himself, but handed the phone to his partner. He was heard in the background threatening to chop off her arms and legs.

Police attended the property on Benson Lane in Normanton and found Greenhalgh in an agitated state but trying to conceal the axe.

He tried to close the door to the officers but they forced their way in and restrained him. They thought he was under the influence of either drink, drugs or both.

Greenhalgh had no previous convictions, and the court was told that the he and his partner had since reconciled.

He admitted charges of assault and making threats to kill.

Mitigating Shufqat Khan said: "She (his partner) gives a candid account. But this is the first time such an incident has occurred.

"This is wholly out of character for this 42-year-old man. His words to me were 'I have brought this all on myself'.

"He knows there is no excuse for this behaviour. He can't explain why he lost his temper."

Mr Khan said Greenhalgh, of Woodside Crescent, Normanton, had stopped drinking since that night and was working with the drug counselling service in Wakefield, Turning Point, having been placed on a methadone prescription.

Judge Simon Phillips QC was convinced not to send him to custody, so gave him an eight-month term, suspended for 18 months, with 100 hours of unpaid work.

He told him: "You behaved in a way that was entirely out of character and can be described as an isolated incident.

"You have not previously harmed or threatened her."