A terrified woman begged a knife-wielding man "please don't kill me" after he burst into her hotel room and kept her prisoner in a frightening ordeal, a court has heard.
Christopher Prior, 39, held a woman hostage earlier this year after stealing a knife from an Italian restaurant, leaving her "absolutely terrified" and thinking he would murder her. Prior, who has a long history of violence, had knocked on her door at the DoubleTree Hilton in Hull as she was expecting a takeaway delivery.
Hull Crown Court heard she was left traumatised after opening the door to Prior on February 26, and shouting for help immediately, believing he planned to do her harm. Prosecutor Michael Masson said she pleaded with the man: "Please don't hurt me. I have got children."
Christopher Prior remained in the woman's room for three minutesHull Live reported that Mr Masson said she was told to "stop shouting" and that he was "not going to hurt her", but she was "terrified and was frightened of what he might do to her". Prior then explained he needed somewhere to hide, with the prosecutor adding: "She told him that he could stay and that she would leave but he told her to stay in the room. She was absolutely terrified. She thought that she was about to be murdered."
Prior left the room after three minutes, and the court heard he later had an encounter with police in which he wielded the knife. The convicted robber, from Hull admitted false imprisonment, burglary and possessing a knife, and the court heard he stole the item after brazenly entering a restaurant.
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Mr Masson said Prior entered the kitchen of the restaurant in Princes Avenue, west Hull, at around 6.15pm via an open back door and "took a kitchen knife", before travelling across the city while clutching the blade. He carried the knife under his jacket and clutched "on the right side of his body". The woman whom he held prisoner said the experience was the most terrifying of her life.
The court heard she was left traumatised, suffered flashbacks, and has experienced physical terror and nightmares on several occasions in the following months. The court heard that Prior had convictions for 74 previous offences, with 43 for theft-related matters, and had been jailed for eight years at Chester Crown Court in September 2013 for robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.
He was also jailed for 12 years in 2018 for wounding with intent while he was incarcerated. Mitigating, Nigel Clive said he apologised for his actions, adding that pleading guilty to the charges is the "next best thing" to taking back his deeds. Mr Clive added: "There can be no real mitigation of what he did. He thinks it's disgraceful."
Prior had been recalled to prison until 2030 after breaching his licence following a previous release, and is "now doing well", having spent "a month without drugs". Judge Tahir Khan KC jailed Prior for three years, telling him there was "no doubt" there "was absolutely no good reason for you to be walking around the streets carrying a knife".
He added: "It wasn't used. That much is for sure but the fact that you had it is deeply troubling." Speaking of the hotel incident, the judge continued: "You entered her bedroom and it's clear from what she has said that she was terrified, even though your behaviour was not directly threatening towards her.
"She certainly felt that she was going to be killed and that was an entirely understandable reaction. You didn't intend to hurt her. You remained in her room for about three minutes."It must have been, for her, an excruciating period of time and then you did leave.
"The trauma she went through includes her being fearful for her life and also having flashbacks. This was an offence of false imprisonment of some gravity. The length of detention was not great but the fact that this victim was in an enclosed location must have been terrifying and she clearly was significantly affected by your behaviour."
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