Northamptonshire man threatened to 'chop up' partner's friend before chasing him with machete in drug-fueled temper

A Northamptonshire man who threatened to 'chop up' his partner's friend before chasing him with a machete in his hand in drug-fueled temper was jailed today (Friday, September 17).

Storm Creighton was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court over the 'frightening' incident in Woodford Halse in March.

The sentence for the 24-year-old, of Little Horton House Drive, Horton, also covered two offences for driving while disqualified and without insurance while on bail.

His Honour Judge David Herbert QC told him: "You got very close to his car and it was a frightening incident for him with a fearsome-looking weapon.

"This has had a significant effect on him as he has trouble sleeping and feelings of anxiety - all because of your threatening and aggressive behaviour towards him."

The prosecuting barrister said the friend had picked up Creighton's partner from their home on Locke Row at around 5pm on March 13, as the couple had argued and she wanted to leave.

They returned at around 7.45pm and as they walked back to the property, the defendant leaned out of a window and pressed the machete against the glass.

Creighton said to the friend: "If he wants an argument, I will come downstairs and chop him up."

The friend was chased back to his car by the defendant, who still had the machete in his hand, but got in before he reached him and drove off, picking up the partner down the road and calling the police.

Summarising a statement from the victim, the prosecutor said he has been put on medication for anxiety and high blood pressure and he has lost touch with friends and family members because of the incident.

"Since the incident he has suffered problems sleeping, he can only sleep a few hours each night and it's affected his day-to-day life as he's frequently tired," she told the court.

"He frequently has thoughts about bumping into the defendant. This has left him feeling anxious and nervous to go out and he only leaves the house to travel to work and see his children.

"He's often late to work and has been disciplined as a result, he says he is late because of the lack of sleep.

"Emotionally it's affected him and his children have noticed a change in him as he's constantly on edge."

Creighton handed himself in at Daventry police station the next day but did not admit anything, simply insisting the machete was not illegal and he collected weapons.

At around 10pm on July 17, a police officer in an unmarked car noticed a silver Ford Mondeo driving at speed and with suspension issues near Daventry.

The officer pulled the car over and Creighton was driving with his partner in the passenger seat, despite being disqualified from driving and without insurance.

The defendant said he had forgotten about the disqualification, the pair were living in the car as they had been kicked out of their home and they were heading to somewhere to stay.

Creighton was again caught driving while disqualified and without insurance on August 8, after he sped past a police car on the A5 near the A43 roundabout in Towcester.

The officers followed him to the Aldi car park where the defendant got out of his car and walked away from them but he stopped when asked.

Creighton pleaded guilty to the driving offences at the first opportunity at Northampton Magistrates' Court but only admitted threatening behaviour in a public place on the first day of his trial.

The defence counsel said his client 'did not have a good start in life', saying: "He has a background of abuse of drugs and mental disturbance within his family.

"Sadly Mr Creighton was fighting an uphill battle in his very early years and gave up that battle by committing offences aged 14, stealing cars.

"I'm afraid in Mr Creighton's case it's the curse of drugs again as he's a user of cocaine and cannabis, he uses a lot in terms of monetary value.

"He binges the drugs, hence why I have no mitigation to offer as Mr Creighton simply cannot remember what went on."

The defence barrister said Creighton was under the impression his partner was arguing with her friend at the time of the machete incident and he went to her aid but obviously that was not the case.

"His daughter was taken by the social services and put up for adoption and adopted around that time so he felt an emptiness about that," he told the court.

"That emptiness probably turned to something akin to a short temper or rage about the predicament he found himself in.

"It was an accumulation of very poor circumstances, he was unable to cope and he reacted in the way he did."

The defence barristeradded that Creighton is on 'heavy' anti-depressants and struggles with being in a prison cell for 23-and-a-half hours a day as he is alone with his thoughts and prefers to be busy.

The defendant has a previous conviction for threatening someone with a knife.

Creighton said he would stab his ex-partner, her mother and step-father and produced a kitchen knife from his waistband after bumping into her in Daventry town centre in 2017.

Judge Herbert said: "The fact is you haven't learned your lesson following that period of detention.

"I accept you have had a difficult childhood and there are mental health issues as far as you are concerned which haven't assisted you while offending."

Creighton was given a 21-month jail term for the machete incident and a consecutive three-month sentence for the driving offences.

The defendant was given a five-year restraining order against his partner's friend.'

Editor's note: Creighton's address has been changed.