"Alarming" and "frightening" incident sees man jailed

Wednesday 21 November 2018

After a lifetime "blighted" by drug use, Russ Philip Allen, has been sent to prison for a string of offences which left another man frightened for his life.

Allen faced five charges when he was sentenced by Guernsey’s Royal Court yesterday, including assault against a woman, theft of a bottle of Prosecco, taking the woman’s car without permission, criminal damage to another man’s front door and a communal front door where that victim lives, and possession of a knife.

In total Allen was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the two separate incidents  which both happened in April this year. He’s been in custody since that night – including an initial 11 days spent as a voluntary patient at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital where he was assessed by a psychiatrist who found him to be drug and alcohol dependent, with a gambling addiction, but the court heard he also had legal ‘capacity’ which meant he could take responsibility for the actions which led to his arrest and incarceration.

Pictured: Russ Philip Allen was jailed for 30 months. 

Allen was known to Guernsey Police ahead of the incidents which he was arrested for, as he had been reported missing by a friend who was concerned for his welfare after finding two letters, described to the court as suicide notes.  

He was found to be safe at that time, and he arranged to stay at the home of his female victim for a while, including on the night he assaulted her.

The Royal Court heard how they had an argument – which Judge Russell Finch said was based on jealousy over a relationship she was said to be in with another man, who became Allen’s second victim later that same night.

Allen and the woman had previously fought, she said – but never like this, the prosecution told the court. On this occasion, Allen pushed her on to a bed, grabbed her by the throat, hit her to the side of the head and bit her wrist. She was left with marks on her throat and photographs of the cuts and bruises she suffered were shown to the Judge and Jurats.

The physical argument continued as Allen tried to lock the woman in the house, where a child had been asleep in another bedroom, but she wanted to get the keys off him. He kicked her in the stomach before leaving and taking her car and phone. 

It was later confirmed he had also taken a fish knife from the woman’s house.

Allen left the woman’s property and went to the home of a man, who lived in a flat with communal access in a multi occupancy building.

The male victim woke up to the sound of Allen trying to get into the building. He said Allen was pounding on the door. The court heard that the building was shaking and that the man could hear what sounded like someone trying to undo the lock into his flat.

He called Guernsey Police and when the officers arrived at the scene in St Peter Port they found Allen outside. He was distressed and told the police officers that his best friend was sleeping with his ex girlfriend.

The police officers could smell alcohol but it was later confirmed Allen hadn’t drunk the bottle of Prosecco as a breath test came back with a zero reading. He said he had thrown the bottle against the wall and that was confirmed when the bottle was found to be smashed where he said it was.

Pictured: Russ Philip Allen was accused of stealing a bottle of Prosecco, which he later smashed against a wall, during the incident in April, 2018 (file image).

At this time Allen was arrested for stealing the woman’s car – he then voluntarily told the police officers about the knife. It was found in the communal hallway of the building where the male victim lived, but the tip of the knife was missing.

Damage was found to the communal front door and to the front door of the man's flat. Some of the marks were consistent with the doors being stabbed with the knife.

When Allen was arrested he asked to see a psychiatrist, and he was taken to the PEH where he was voluntarily admitted for assessment. He stayed there for 11 days.

During that time he admitted he had wanted to kill the male victim – and also that he had experienced suicidal thoughts himself.

He had succumbed to alcohol again in the time leading up to committing these offences and had also taken all of the opiates he had been prescribed in one go.

The court heard and agreed that Allen had previously, and while voluntarily at the hospital, tried to address his addictions. 

Pictured: Russ Philip Allen was at the hospital for 11 days for voluntary assessment. 

Allen's defence lawyer, Liam Roffey, said his drug dependency problems had “blighted his adult life and his teenage years” and that he had tried to address those problems at times during his adult life.

Advocate Roffey said that Allen was aware pf the significant gravity of the case against him, and the charges which he had admitted at the first possible opportunity.

Mr Roffey said Allen had been in a dark place ahead of committing these offences, and that he had written the two suicide notes which police were aware of. He was taken to the hospital at that time, before being released and going to stay at the woman’s home. When he found out the woman and the male victim were allegedly in a relationshop together he was “very upset by this.”

He said that although Allen had admitted to a pyschitatri that he had wanted to kill the male victim, he had not had any intention of going through with that.

Judge Finch told Allen this was an alarming incident, which was very frightening for both victims.

A psychiatrist had deemed Allen able to be held responsible for his actions and Judge Finch said he was also considered to be at a very high risk of reoffending.

He sentenced Allen to 30 months in prison in total, to run from the date he was first arrested and went to the hospital voluntarily.

Pictured: Russ Philip Allen.