Sheffield Crown Court: Knife-wielding granddad jailed for threatening and scaring man who later killed himself

A 61-year-old father-to-be has been jailed for brandishing a knife and making terrifying threats to a man who later killed himself.
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During a February 16 hearing at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge David Dixon told defendant Alexander Henderson that there was a ‘real suggestion if not an an absolute conclusion’ that the man he subjected to a frightening ordeal had taken his own life as a result of the ‘distress caused by you’.

Judge Dixon jailed Henderson, of Blacker Hill, Barnsley, for 32 months for charges of affray, possession of a bladed article and criminal damage, all relating to the incident which took place in May last year.

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The victim and his father were carrying out work on a property on Greenside Lane in Hoyland, Barnsley, when Henderson came past and could be seen ‘chuntering’ to himself, said prosecution barrister, Zaiban Alam.

Alexander Henderson has been jailed for 32 months for offences of affray, possession of a bladed articleAlexander Henderson has been jailed for 32 months for offences of affray, possession of a bladed article
Alexander Henderson has been jailed for 32 months for offences of affray, possession of a bladed article

Henderson returned again, drinking from a can of beer, and could once again be seen ‘chuntering’ to himself, which caused the victim to become ‘concerned’ because he had previously encountered problems with Henderson.

Ms Alam described how Henderson left and once again returned to the scene, this time with others; and a short time later he ‘pulled a knife from his trousers, ran towards the property’ and began brandishing the knife at the victim.

She continued: "He shouted: ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you, I’m going to f***ing kill you, or burn your house down’.”

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During the course of the next few minutes, Henderson continued to threaten the victim, caused damage to a digger hired by the victim and his father, made stabbing motions in the victim’s direction and even put his eight-inch knife to his own face, causing him to bleed slightly.

The victim tried to escape Henderson by running into the rear garden, but he was followed by Henderson, still ‘in possession of the knife,’ Ms Alam said.

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Henderson fled the scene before police arrived, and stashed the knife in a bush nearby, where it was subsequently found by an acquaintance of the victim’s.

In a statement to the court, the victim’s father described how, in the time between the incident and his son taking his own life, he ‘couldn’t leave the house’ on his own – a change in his behaviour he attributed to Henderson's offending.

He continued by saying the incident had made his son ‘incredibly paranoid’ and said he was unable to sleep because of fears their house would be set on fire; describing how he would get into bed fully-clothed so he could be ‘ready’ to act.

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Henderson, whose criminal record includes offences of disorderly behaviour, harassment and criminal damage, pleaded guilty to the charges he faced at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Sean Fritchley said Henderson did not accept the ‘entirety’ of the prosecution case, but added he could not get away from the ‘distress’ caused to the victim.

He said Henderson, a granddad who is about to become a father again, had shouted the threats ‘in the heat of the moment, there was no intention of following them through’.

As he passed sentence, Judge Dixon told the victim’s family, who were present in court, there was ‘nothing I can do in any way to turn back the clock’.

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Turning to Henderson, he added: “In my judgement you have caused the death of the complainant…but if that’s wrong, you have clearly caused him serious fear and distress.”

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