South Shields man threatened to kill his girlfriend and her ex after she accidentally kicked him

Jake Thirlwell, 24, of Brentwood Place, South Shields, ranted: “I’m going to kill him, then I’m going to kill you,” at the woman during the incident.

Thirlwell also punched her in the head and bashed her head against a wood frame at her South Shields home at around 5pm on Thursday, May 14, a court heard.

Magistrates were told he punched her in the ribs, used a metal pole to smash two small windows – and threatened the father of her children with a kitchen knife.

Prosecutor Anne Mitchell told magistrates in South Tyneside: “The defendant was sitting on the settee and she moved a blanket, accidentally knocking the defendant in the testicles.

“He punched her in the head. She went upstairs to get away and to wait for [the father of her children] to arrive to pick up their children.

“He said to [her] ‘Shut up you stupid ***** or I’ll kick your head in’.”

Her ex then ‘told him not to talk like that in front of the children’ and the prosecutor said there was a scuffle between them.

She added: “The defendant said to him, ‘Come on’, at which point he went into the kitchen and took a knife.

“He threatened to stab [him] with the knife. She took the knife from him.

“The defendant then punched her in the ribs and slapped her and continued shouting at her. She called 999.”

Ms Mitchell added: “By this point, he had grabbed her by the hair and banged her head against a wooden frame at the top of the stairs.

“He ran down the stairs and picked up a metal pole and went outside into the garden and used the pole to damage the windows.

“He said, ‘I’m going to kill him and then I’m going to kill you’.”

David Forrester, defending, said: “He accepts that he slapped her across the face in the garden, nothing more.

“The defendant always accepted that they were in the garden and that he slapped [his girlfriend] twice on the head.

“He has denied the allegation of a punch. There’s a significant difference to what she says and what he says.”

Mr Forrester said Thirlwell ‘gets into a shouting match’ with the other man, adding: “The defendant says, ‘Come on’ and that amounts to a verbal assault. He’s also waving his arms around.

“He does accept that he went outside and struck [his girlfriend] twice. He did go to the kitchen and picked up a knife.”

Thirlwell pleaded guilty to common assault against the other man, assault by beating against his girlfriend and causing criminal damage.

His case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports to the same court on Tuesday, October 6.

He was granted bail on condition he resides at his home address and does not contact his victims.

He must also stay out of an area of South Shields bordered by the John Reid Road, the A19 and the A1018.

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