A BRIDGWATER man who pointed a knife at his former girlfriend and made threats to burn her flat down after barricading her into the property left her so fearful that she had to escape through a window.

The terrified victim managed to dial 999 and a police operator heard her whispering the words “help me” as Troy McAllister became more and more agitated.

She realised she was unable to get out of the front door after the defendant had thrown items of furniture and other possessions against it and she was forced to squeeze through a tiny window in order to break free.

The 25-year-old defendant, of Friarn Avenue, originally pleaded not guilty to assaulting the complainant by beating her and making threats to burn her flat down in Yeovil leaving her fearing those threats would be carried out on February 17.

He previously admitted two counts of using towards two police officers threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing them to believe that immediate violence would be used against them during the same incident.

He was due to stand trial before Somerset Magistrates over the denied allegations but the hearing commenced in his absence after he failed to attend. It was then dramatically halted halfway through the victim’s evidence when the defendant arrived and changed his pleas to guilty.

After the victim was told she no longer had to give evidence McAllister then had further legal advice and asked for his original not guilty plea to stand after he claimed he had mistakenly changed his plea.

He said he had not made the threat to burn down her flat and disputed the use of a knife during the incident.

The magistrates agreed to this request, although the defendant then voluntarily absented himself from the trial when he left the court building without explanation.

Prosecutor Christine Hart said that the victim and McAllister had known each other for around a year and had a brief sexual relationship but were not in a proper relationship. At the time he had been renting a room from her for three weeks.

On February 16, the complainant had been drinking red wine at her father’s house and the defendant picked her up and they stayed up all night watching films and eating food.

“At 7.30am McAllister began to get emotional so the victim tried to calm him down but he got up and paced around the kitchen for 10 minutes and started to become threatening,” she said.

“He then came out of the kitchen holding a knife by his waist but then approached her and raised the knife and said: “You’re lying, you don’t care about me, no one cares about me”.

“He held the knife towards her face for a few seconds but she pushed his hand away and it dropped to the floor so she called the police, whispering 'help me'.

“She then became aware McAllister was throwing items against the front door and he still seemed agitated so she ran into the spare room after seeing he had barricaded her in.

“The victim tried to get out of the window, and as she did the defendant made threats to burn the flat down.”

She managed to squeeze out of the window and ran from the flat and the police attended at 8.10am and McAllister was arrested.

During interview he denied making threats or threatening the victim with a knife and also denied barricading the door, saying the complainant must have done it herself.

He said he didn’t intend for the victim to fear the threat would be carried out and also said he did not assault her.

Giving evidence on oath, the complainant said that McAllister began to feel sorry for himself while they watched films and said he felt like he had nothing to live for.

“He became agitated and emotional but I told him he had friends but he then started pacing the room frantically and started gathering his belongings and smashing furniture up against my front door,” she said.

“He was doing that for a few minutes and then walked into the kitchen and came towards me in a very aggressive and emotional way, and that was when he pointed a knife at me.

“He walked towards me with the knife down by his side but the blade was pointing towards me and he then pointed it at me while a few inches away from my face.

“That made me feel scared and threatened for my life and he pointed it at me for a few seconds so I put my hand over his and went to sweep it away and he dropped it to the floor and didn’t pick it up again.”

She said she knew she couldn’t get out of the door because he had barricaded it so she went into the next room and climbed over a sofa bed and tried to get out of the window.

She phoned 999 and managed to whisper to a call operator “help me” but could not say anything more as she was afraid the defendant would see what she was doing.

The defendant realised she was on the phone and said, “I’m going to burn your flat down", but she didn’t respond and knew she had to get out.

After squeezing through the window she ran across the car park outside and a few minutes later a police car arrived.

Miss Hart said that when McAllister was interviewed by police he said he had no reason to lie about the situation and had no reason to threaten the complainant with a knife. He also said she must have put the stuff in front of the door herself.

The magistrates said that the victim had been very credible and consistent with her evidence and the 999 call, which was played in court, confirmed her state of upset and distress at the time.

“We believe the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that McAlister committed the threat to cause criminal damage,” they said.

“We do believe there was a knife and believe everything the victim said and therefore find the defendant guilty on the full facts of the case.”

Due to the defendant’s unexplained absence from the court the magistrates issued a warrant for McAllister’s arrest when he will be brought back before the court at Yeovil to be sentenced at the earliest possible opportunity.