Man makes chilling threat to petrol bomb partner's home

Joseph Shields was holding a bottle of petrol at the time



A man who threatened to petrol bomb his partner’s home while she and her children were inside has been spared prison.

Joseph Shields made the chilling threat - vowing to come back at night to do the deed - after a vicious argument over how to discipline his partner’s son.

And he was still holding a bottle containing petrol when police arrived outside her home to arrest him.

Shields, 38, was convicted of making threats to kill following the altercation outside a home in Lakin Road, Warwick, on November 9 last year.

He was also guilty of having a bladed article in a public place and possession of cannabis and was sentenced at Coventry Crown Court on Friday.

Shields was jailed for a year for threats to kill, with six months and one month respectively for having a knife and possession on cannabis to run concurrently, with the sentence suspended for a year.

Sentencing Shields, Recorder Kevin Hegarty said: “You picked an argument with the woman in your life and her children.

“Ultimately, she got hold of your belongings and threw them out of the address. Among them was a plastic bottle which had some petrol in it.

“There was nothing sinister about you having that, however you were in such a state you were threatening to petrol bomb the address and kill her.

“She had the presence of mind to call police and you were arrested.

“Threatening to kill other people in such frightening circumstances is a very grave matter.”

Explaining precisely what happened, prosecutor Ian Windridge said: “The partner came home and he was outside the flat and was unhappy that she hadn’t been there.

“He returned that evening in a bad mood and the argument continued. He said he was going and she told him to take his belongings and she threw items after him.

“He ran back towards the house holding a bottle containing pink liquid. He said he would petrol bomb the house and kill her.”

The terrified woman ran back in to the flat, but Shield stayed outside shouting: “I swear on my mum’s life I will petrol bomb your house in the night. I will kill you all.”

Police arrived and Shields, of Watson Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham, was also found to have a lock-knife and cannabis.