Rugby drug dealer held former partner captive at knifepoint until alarm was raised at police station

Fletcher Allinson (26) of Pembrey Road, Rugby, had pleaded guilty to charges of possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply them.

And at a later hearing at Warwick Crown Court he pleaded guilty to offences of false imprisonment, possessing a bladed article, and assault.

He was jailed for two years and four months by Judge Peter Cooke for the drug offences, with a consecutive two-year sentence for the later incident.

Prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth said that in August 2018 police officers on patrol in Rugby noticed a Vauxhall Corsa parked on a track leading to garages at the back of Coton Road.

They recognised the driver as a known drug-user, and when they went to speak to him and the other man in the car, Allinson, they noticed a small bag by the gear stick.

The two men were detained, and when the bag was checked it was found to contain 26 wraps of heroin.

And in Allinson’s shoulder bag the officers found £98 in cash and another bag containing 17 deals of crack cocaine, while in the passenger footwell where he had been sitting was a set of electronic scales and a further £40

Allinson had dropped a phone, which was seized from him, together with two more phones.

And on it were messages to do with the supply of drugs, including a group text advertising drugs for sale which had been sent to 40 people including the driver who had two wraps on him.

Allinson entered his pleas to the drug offences on the basis that he was dealing to pay off a drug debt of his own.

But Mr Hollingsworth made the point that the texts showed he was ‘more than just a runner’ for someone else.

Then in May last year, while the drugs matter was still under investigation, Allinson turned up at his former partner’s home at just before five in the morning.

He said he had nowhere to stay and that he just wanted to sleep on the sofa, so she let him in.

But when she went upstairs to go back to bed, he followed her and picked up her phone, saying he wanted to know who she had been talking to, which she said was none of his business.

Allinson reacted by becoming aggressive and telling her: “I own you. I have people watching you all the time.”

He went downstairs and returned with a bread knife, grabbed her and pushed her onto the bed, calling her names.

She got away and went downstairs, but he followed and picked up a bottle of wine which he drank and began tapping the bottle against her head in a menacing way.

She could see blood from his nose and thought he must be under the influence of drugs as he put his hand round her throat and told her his last girlfriend had had to leave Rugby.

He then went to the kitchen and armed himself with a carving knife, and as she tried to get out of the houses he grabbed her and put one of the knives to her neck, telling her: “You’re not leaving.”

At one point he took out a bag and began taking cocaine from it before ordering her to take him somewhere in her car.Sitting next to her in the car, still with the carving knife which he threatened to poke into her leg if she did not take him where he wanted to go, he then realised she was driving to the police station.

When she pulled up he threatened to stab any officers who came to the car, but she managed to get out and ran to the locked door where she pressed the buzzer.

She also made a 999 call, but as she was speaking to the operator, Allinson took the phone from her and claimed everything was fine, but that she had ‘taken too many drugs.’

Fortunately the operator did not believe that, and an officer was dispatched to speak to her, and, following an ordeal lasting getting on for four hours, she was found to have bruising to her neck and arms.

Allinson had made off, but returned to the police station after disposing of the knife, and was arrested, added Mr Hollingsworth.

Handing the judge a letter from Allinson, his barrister Adam Western said: “The contrition he says he feels is genuine.”

Sentencing Allinson, in relation to the drug offences, Judge Cooke told him: “You were doing what you were doing to make money to pay off an existing debt.

“You were released under investigation when you committed the offences against your former partner.

“She has written a letter saying there is good in you, and she wants you to be someone she is on good terms with, although there is no suggestion you will be a couple again, so you can share the parenting of your children.

“You are genuinely remorseful, and have been using your time in custody exemplarily to address your drug problem.”