Hull Crown Court
Drugged-up dad's axe threat to guest he'd offered to host for Christmas
His victim thought he'd only be leaving 'in a body bag'
Mark NaylorHumber Court Reporter
Heroin and crack cocaine user Shaun Douglas allowed him to stay with him over Christmas (Image: Humberside Police)
A hardened drug addict viciously attacked a down-on-his-luck man during several brutal beatings and the terrified victim feared that he would only leave "in a body bag".
Heroin and crack cocaine user Shaun Douglas allowed him to stay with him over Christmas but later repeatedly punched and kicked him for laughing at him.
He warned the victim that his girlfriend had an axe by the bed and the man felt trapped in the flat and feared for his life, Hull Crown Court heard.
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Douglas, 32, of Jalland Street, Hull, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on December 26 last year.
He also admitted supplying heroin, cocaine or Spice on December 10, 15, 21 and 22 last year and on February 9.
Douglas also admitted threatening a man with a blade on April 25.
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Richard Thompson, prosecuting, said that a man who had suffered problems where he was previously living got chatting to Douglas, who invited him to stay with him over Christmas last year.
Douglas returned home with crack cocaine on Boxing Day and became aggressive with the guest and accused him of laughing at him.
He told the man "Don't laugh at me" and punched him in his eye as he was sitting on a settee.
The victim put his hand up but Douglas ordered him to put his arm behind his back.
"He was punched more times to the face," said Mr Thompson.
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Douglas calmed down and apologised but, later in the day, punched him again in the face and told him to put his arms down.
He cornered him in the bathroom and kicked him about the legs and face, causing a bleeding nose.
Douglas "flipped out" other times during the day and warned him that, next time, he would use a piece of wood with nails at the end.
He hit the man with it on his arm and, the next morning, punched him in the face again and told him to lie on a mattress in the living room.
Douglas warned the victim that his girlfriend had an axe near the bed. His phone was confiscated but he eventually managed to flee when Douglas went out.
The man later said: "I was in fear of my life when I was trapped in the flat.
"I believed I would leave in a body bag."
In another offence, Douglas was riding a bicycle on a pavement and a pedestrian put a hand up for him to stop.
Douglas got off his bicycle, approached the man aggressively and started to swing a metal chain about.
He pulled out a knife and warned him: "I'm going to f***ing stab you."
The drug Operation Doon druga offences happened when Douglas was contacted by an undercover police officer and sold drugs to the investigator in Jalland Street, near his home.
Douglas had convictions for 47 previous offences, including three of possessing a blade and another of affray.
Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Douglas allowed the assault victim to stay at his home but suspected that he was stealing from him.
Douglas was a long-term drug addict who had used heroin and crack cocaine but he was now on methadone after eight months in custody.
"He realises this is no life," said Miss Scott.
Douglas had two children, the younger child born while he was in custody, the court heard.
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Recorder Peter Makepeace QC said: "It was a very, very nasty assault."
Douglas was jailed for five years and was given a five-year restraining order for the offence against the cyclist.
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