A Gateshead hostel resident who threatened to kill and "cut up" a staff member after a rant about the sex offenders' register has been found guilty of making threats to kill. Steven Hewitt, 50, was living at Cuthbert House on Derwentwater Road after being released from prison.
Curfew breach led to confrontation
As Hewitt was on licence at the time, he had to abide by an 8pm curfew. But on August 12 this year, just two days after entering the hostel, he returned to the premises at 8.05pm drunk and "unsteady" on his feet. He fell asleep on a sofa in a communal area and was woken by a staff member who asked him to go to his room.
Upon being woken up, Hewitt immediately became aggressive. He began "mouthing off" at the man and went on a rant about the sex offenders' register before threatening to kill him.
Threats made to worker
Warren Ridley, prosecuting, said: "The defendant made threats to kill him and cut him up. The witness asked him to return to his room where a threat to kill was made."
Giving evidence at the morning trial at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, the man who was threatened said Hewitt was "unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech". He said: "I asked him to go to his bedroom, he got up and said 'why did you call me a sex offender? I'm not a sex offender, you put me on the register, I'm going to cut you up'."
The witness, who felt "unnerved and anxious", then escorted Hewitt to his room before more threats were made. The witness said: "He turned round and said 'I'm going to kill you'."
The man, who has worked at the hostel for over 20 years, then went back to the staff room and called the police. He added: "It's the first time a resident has expressed they are going to kill me... he was fixated on me calling him a sex offender."
Assault on police and previous convictions
When police arrived to arrest Hewitt, he immediately became aggressive and spat at one of them, before attempting to bite another. He also "kicked out" at a third officer. The trial heard Hewitt had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a police officer in relation to the incident.
The court heard that Hewitt had received a 14 month prison sentence for sending threatening messages. While behind bars, he had also passed notes out of his cell where he said he would "behead" a police officer and torture another.
Giving evidence at the trial, Hewitt - who has Asperger's - had to be warned to calm down in court on several occasions as he continuously made statements about the sex offenders' register. Speaking of the offence, he said: "I don't remember saying 'I'm going to kill you', I don't see why I would make such a statement. I don't have the capability to kill anyone. I have no hostility towards [the witness], I haven't made a threat to kill him and had no reason to."
Mark Humble, defending, said: "He was drunk and going to bed. He told the court he was mouthing off, he was not in the best frame of mind. There was no intention for that threat to be carried out." The trial heard that in police interview, Hewitt said that anything that could have been considered a threat was just "banter".
Sentencing transferred to Crown Court
After the magistrates found the threat to kill charge "proved beyond reasonable doubt", the court was told Hewitt had 74 previous convictions for 142 offences. Due to the severity of the charges, the magistrates transferred Hewitt's sentencing to Newcastle Crown Court.
Hewitt will be sentenced at the higher court on Thursday, November 5. He was remanded in custody until his next appearance.
