Chronic alcoholic spared prison for knife threat to brother

A chronic alcoholic who threatened his own brother with a knife in a drunken rage has been spared prison.

David Kearns pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed weapon and sending threatening communications when he appeared before a judge at Preston Crown Court for sentence.

The 50-year-old, from Bamber Bridge, who said he couldn’t remember much about the incident because he was intoxicated, was given a nine-month jail term suspended for 18 months.

The court heard Kearns, who also had mental health issues, had moved in with his younger brother so he could help him.

He had stayed for around six months but had then moved out. Shortly after the pair argued in text messages over the spare key Kearns had.

The argument got heated and threats were made by Kearns to his brother to “stab him up”.

He later appeared outside his brother’s house and there was a scuffle in which he suffered an injury to his nose.

Soon after he returned with a large kitchen knife, waving it in his 49-year-old brother’s direction shouting he was going to kill him.

The brother’s son heard the threats, as did a neighbour, and the police were called.

Kerans was arrested. In a victim impact statement, the brother said he had been “shocked and shaken” by the incident.

He said it was a “stupid act” by Kearns which had terrified his son and a neighbour. Later the brother said he felt the threats hadn’t been serious and he wanted his brother to get help.

He asked the court for leniency. Kearns’ defence barrister Madeleine de Farrer told the court her client accepted he had a blade and made threats, but they were not made seriously.

The backdrop to the offence had been “chronic alcohol abuse and dependency throughout his life, largely due to childhood experiences”.

“He doesn’t recall much of the incident. It is indicative of his mental state.”

She said Kearns felt a strong sense of remorse for what he had done to his brother, his nephew and the rest of his family.

“Alcohol is something which has been a feature of his life since the age of 14. He has been drinking heavily throughout his life. He used to smoke cannabis. It was his decision to stop smoking cannabis which has led to him drinking more.

“He knows enough is enough.”

She said Kearns, of Brownedge Road, Bamber Bridge, had turned to the community drug and alcohol service Inspire for help.

He was now lined up for a 10-day inpatient detox programme and then a six-month stay in a rehab unit.

“It is the best possible thing this defendant can do,” she added.

“Alcohol is the problem for him. It causes him to behave in a way he accepts is wrong.”

Judge Kirsty-Ann Gunn said Kearns was “heavily intoxicated” when he went to his brother’s house and behaved aggressively.

There had earlier been a scuffle in which his brother had punched him, causing an injury to his nose.

That matter was being dealt with at Preston Magistrates Court.

“Shortly after that you made threats to him and went to his house waving a knife. You (then) tried to leave the scene and dispose of the knife in a garden.

“Alcohol has become destructive in your life. I accept you suffer from long-term alcohol dependence. You have engaged with probation and have been accepted on detox.

“Your offending was serious. The custody threshold has clearly been crossed. You threatened to stab your brother and armed yourself with a knife.

“But immediate custody would risk undermining the treatment on offer to you.”

She sentenced him to nine months for possessing a bladed article in a public place and four months for sending threatening communications, both to run concurrently and suspended for 18 months.

In addition she ordered Kearns to attend up to 25 rehabilitation activity days.

“This represents an opportunity for you,” she told him.

“If you commit any further offences you can be brought back to court to serve this sentence.”