Shipley dad threatened to kill himself and baby

Kevin Hollis, of Alma Street, Windhill, telephoned his father on June 21 to tell him he had a knife and was going to stab himself and his ten-month old daughter Summer.

Hollis, who appeared for sentencing at Keighley Magistrates’ Court yesterday, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to sending a false message by public electronic communication network to cause anxiety, annoyance or inconvenience.

The court heard the defendant’s father had custody of Summer at the time of the incident but Hollis had spent the night at his father’s house and had taken his daughter for a walk in her pram the following day. Shortly after 3pm, while Hollis was still out with Summer, he contacted his father to say he was having problems with Summer’s mother Charlotte Gibson and he was going to kill himself and the baby.

He said he was in the place where they had gone walking together when he was a child.

Prosecutor Mark Steeples said the defendant’s father feared his son would carry out the threat and called the police, who launched a manhunt in the area. Hollis and his child were later found unharmed by the side of the Leeds-Liverpool canal, near Buck Lane, Shipley.

Mr Steeples said Hollis told officers during an interview that he had been upset by Miss Gibson and had “lost the plot”. He said he never had a knife and had phoned his father because he knew he would do the right thing and contact police.

Defence solicitor Ian Hudson said Hollis suffered from anxiety and his actions on June 21 were a cry for help.

He said he had admitted everything that had happened and had since been to his doctor to obtain medication for his anxiety. Hollis was also sentenced for assaulting Miss Gibson by beating when he appeared before magistrates yesterday. He admitted attacking his former partner at their home in Alma Street on June 14 at an earlier hearing.

Hollis was given a 12-month community order with supervision as punishment for both charges.