A ranting boyfriend carried out a terrifying Shining-style axe attack on his own back door after his partner locked him outside in just his underpants.
Anthony Eamonson chopped his way back into the property, seized his girlfriend’s mobile phone and threw it into the fireplace.
The alarming early morning incident ended when Eamonson reported himself to police.
The 45-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted a domestically-aggravated charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive way, likely to cause fear or alarm, at his cottage in Bankfoot on February 5.
Eamonson, who was told he had an “unimpressive” criminal record, told social workers he used the axe to get back inside quickly, because he was worried he would freeze.
Row over sofa space
Fiscal depute Andrew Harding said at around 2am, Eamonson was relaxing on the couch with his partner.
“She got up and the accused stretched out, putting his feet up on her side of the sofa,” the prosecutor said.
“When she returned and sat back down, she moved his legs to one side.
“The accused confronted her about this.
“He began to shout and swear at her.
“This led to an argument and the complainer became upset.”
Broke down door
Mr Harding said Eamonson went outside for a cigarette.
“The complainer bolted the door shut behind him
“This was an internal door between the kitchen and the utility room.
“When the accused tried to re-enter he was met by the locked door.
“He shouted that he would break the door down.
“He picked up an axe and began to break down the door.
“The accused continued to shout and swear at his partner.
“He managed to get to her and took her phone from her and threw it across the room.
“It landed in the fireplace.”
The phone was undamaged but its cover was destroyed.
“At this point, the accused contacted police and made admissions about breaking through the door using an axe,” Mr Harding said.
Officers attended at the property and arrested Eamonson.
‘Somewhat peculiar’
Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said his client had since “made efforts to desist from consuming alcohol”.
Eamonson told social workers he was locked outside in just in his underwear and believed he needed to get back inside as soon as possible or he would freeze.
Sheriff John MacRitchie told Eamonson: “You have an unimpressive record for public disorder.
“People who arm themselves with axes and use them to enter premises in this fashion should expect a significant sentence.”
The sheriff said: “This was particularly serious and I believe the custodial threshold has been passed.
“The only reason I am caused to pause is that these circumstances were somewhat peculiar:
“You were outside in the cold night in nothing but your underpants.
“With considerable hesitation, I can deal with this by way of a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody.”
Eamonson was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and placed on supervision for a year.
Famous movie scene
The incident echoes the iconic scene from the 1980 Stephen King chiller The Shining, where Jack Nicholson smashes down a bathroom door with an axe.
At the end of the movie, Nicholson’s – fully clothed – character freezes to death in the snow.
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