A woman abducted a Kirkcaldy man after holding a meat fork to his neck in front of his parents.
Cheryl Henderson sparked an armed response when she told her frightened victim she would murder him unless someone brought her drugs.
During the ordeal, 38-year-old Henderson also picked a dog up by its ears and threatened to kill it during the incident at a property in Cairns Street East.
She appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court by video link to prison to plead guilty to the abduction and assault and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on January 10.
Sheriff Charles Lugton jailed her for two years.
Demanded drugs
Prosecutor Sarah Smith told the court that the man and his parents were inside the property when Henderson attended.
Henderson was said to be in a manic state, rambling about her medication and pacing around the living room.
She went to the kitchen and pulled a meat fork from one of the drawers and made threats to kill the family before holding the fork to the younger man’s throat, with metal touching his skin.
“The accused then stated she was going to slit his throat,” the fiscal said.
The victim’s father managed to take the fork from her, but she picked up some hairdressing scissors and kept making threats.
The fiscal depute said: “She demanded that the witnesses source drugs for her and stated she would kill them if they did not fulfil this demand.”
The mother managed to flee the address and went to a friend’s home where police were contacted.
Ms Smith said Henderson then forced the father out of the address and locked the door, detaining his son against his will.
Numerous police units went to the property and officers knocked on the front door.
The fiscal continued: “The accused attended the door and stated ‘I’ll kill him’ and ‘I’ll kill the dog.’
“She picked up one of the dogs by the ear and held it in the air.
“The accused was then holding (the male) by the throat, pulling him around the room while shouting words similar to ‘I’ll kill him. I will f***ing murder him if you come near the door’ and ‘I will murder him.’”
A firearms incident was declared.
Family made their escape
Shortly before 6am, the front door was opened slightly and Henderson stood behind her victim with one arm around his neck holding what appeared to be a knife to him in the other hand.
Two armed officers tried to speak to her and the man said she told him she was going to kill him.
One of the officers levelled his gun to an “off aim position” and the other drew his Taser.
Henderson immediately pulled the male back into the address and locked the door.
They both then communicated with officers through the letterbox, with the victim “distressed and frightened that the accused was going to kill him,” Ms Smith said.
During the incident, Henderson also made phone calls to another man requesting drugs to be brought to her and stated the man would be killed if they were not.
Just before 6:20am the front door of the property was opened and the male ran out.
When Henderson saw the man escaping, she chased him briefly and made a “stabbing motion with her right arm” before throwing a glass bottle at him which smashed on the ground.
She then went back inside and locked the door.
Around 7am, firearms officers forced entry and Henderson appeared in the hallway with a kettle in one hand and a silver object with the appearance of a knife in the other.
She lifted the kettle above her head and moved towards officers. A Taser was discharged and she was arrested.
‘It was not the right way’
Henderson also pled guilty to an assault and robbery on a woman which took place in Sutherland Place, Kirkcaldy, on December 13 last year.
The fiscal depute said this involved brandishing a hammer in the woman’s direction and telling her she would stab her if she did not hand over money.
Henderson, who was acting with another at the time, robbed the woman of her handbag containing her mobile phone, £50 cash and other miscellaneous items.
Defence lawyer Danielle Stringer highlighted Henderson’s early guilty plea and stressed at the time of offending she did not have a fixed abode, was struggling with drug addiction and was not receiving medication for her mental health.
The solicitor said: “She accepts the distress caused to other people involved in this incident.
“She reacted to a situation in order to obtain drugs and accepts it was not the right way”.
Ms Stringer said her client, who has been on remand since January 11, has been engaging with services offered to her in custody.
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