A Hornsea man who assaulted and blackmailed another man while making threats to his family has been jailed for four years and 10 months.
Bradley Kitcher, 24, of Cliff Road, appeared at Hull Crown Court on Wednesday, October 15, after pleading guilty to blackmail on Monday, October 13.
The court heard that on the morning of Thursday, March 20, Kitcher entered the victim’s home as he slept, kneeling on him and repeatedly punching him. He continued to assault the man and cause damage to items in his home before threatening to kill him and his family. He also threatened to tie them all up if he did not follow his instructions.
Kitcher then led the victim with force to his home address before instructing him to go inside, saying people were waiting to stab him in the property. The victim refused, and an altercation took place before he was able to flee into a local shop and discreetly call the police.
Kitcher remained outside the premises, smashing the victim’s phone before fleeing when he realised officers were on their way. Police later attended a property in Cliff Road, where Kitcher was arrested.
Detective Constable Dani Crawforth, from the Major Crime Team, said: “This was a targeted and aggressive attack by a violent man who clearly showed no remorse for his actions.
“We will not tolerate violent incidents such as this one. Our teams work tirelessly to remove dangerous offenders like Kitcher from our streets and protect our communities.
“I’d like to commend the bravery of the victim, his family and members of the public for reporting this incident after facing a shocking ordeal on that day.
“We remain absolutely determined to tackle violent crime and take action against those responsible for serious offences of this nature.
“I am pleased to see Kitcher has been held accountable for his actions and while it will not take away the trauma and fear the victim and his family now live with daily, I hope they are reassured to know he is behind bars.”