Man who threatened to slash partner's neck jailed

A man who threatened to smash a vodka bottle and shove it into his partner's neck has been jailed.

Wayne Trott, 37, from Sunderland, told a friend he would kill his then-girlfriend and the friend believed he meant it, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The father-of-five was also sentenced for leading police on a dangerous high speed pursuit around Sunderland for almost an hour.

Trott, of Quayside House, admitted making threats to kill and dangerous driving and was jailed for two and a half years.

Trott's partner told her friend she knew he was "no saint" when she began a relationship with him but she had not realised "actually how bad" he was and was struggling to break up with him, prosecutor Nick Lane said.

As the two women were walking together on 9 May last year, Trott was repeatedly calling his partner and an argument broke out when they got to her home where he was waiting, the court heard.

The group then walked to a nearby shop with Trott drinking from a a bottle of vodka, the court heard.

As they walked, Trott told his partner's friend he would "smash the bottle and shove it" into his girlfriend's neck, adding: "I am going to kill her."

The women reported the threat to police and he was arrested and taken to Sunderland Royal Infirmary after claiming he had overdosed, Mr Lane said.

There he became aggressive and had to be sedated, the court heard.

Trott had a "bad record" of 35 convictions for 65 offences including harassing former partners, Mr Lane said.

In mitigation, Tony Cornberg said he had completed multiple courses while being held on remand at HMP Durham and had been clean of drugs for several months.

Trott was also sentenced for offences including dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

He took a friend's Ford Focus which was then reported stolen, with police spotting him driving it before 15:00 GMT in the Hendon area.

Trott led officers on a high-speed chase during which he drove through red lights, over pavements and across a field, narrowly missing other people and vehicles, the court heard.

He was tracked by a police helicopter and the pursuit was momentarily paused due to the risk he was posing before officers boxed the car in, the court heard.

Last March, Judge Nathan Adams deferred sentencing Trott for the "appalling" driving to give him a "chance" but the threats to kill offence put him in breach of that, the court heard.

Trott, who has a history of disregarding court orders, was also in breach of a suspended three-month prison sentence for theft, the court heard.

Judge Adams said he hoped Trott was genuine about changing his life but he had to jail him for persistent offending.

He was also banned from driving for two years and seven months.

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