Ipswich teen Freya Hoey jailed for Melton knife threat

Freya Hoey went to the premises in St Andrew’s Place in Melton with her 17-year-old friend who had earlier made threats to her former boyfriend who lived at the address.

Eleanor Sheeran, prosecuting, said the 17-year-old co-defendant’s former boyfriend wasn’t in the bedroom when she and Hoey climbed in through the window in November but his roommate was asleep in bed.

Hoey was holding a knife and said: “Don’t move or I’ll stab you” while her friend threatened to stab the roommate if he called the police.

Hoey, of Back Hamlet, Ipswich (Image: Suffolk police)

He was naked in bed and Hoey had handed him his trousers and had handed the knife to her friend who had continued to make threats.

The court heard that the pair had left the premises after about 30 minutes when they realised the police were on the way.

Hoey, 19, of Back Hamlet, Ipswich, who has 100 previous convictions, admitted threatening with a knife in a private place, assault and breach of a suspended sentence at Ipswich Crown Court.

Sentencing her to 30 months detention in a young offender’s institution, Judge Emma Peters said: “Everything I’ve read about you from people who care about you shows that deep down inside you are a good person who needs help.”

However, she said she had a public duty to pass an immediate custodial sentence because of the seriousness of the offences.

Hoey’s co-defendant admitted aggravated burglary and was sentenced at an earlier hearing to 38 months detention.

The court heard the assault charge related to Hoey stabbing an inmate at a prison in Bristol with a home made weapon. The victim suffered four puncture wounds but wasn’t seriously injured.

Peter Spary for Hoey said she had handed the knife to her at an early stage of the incident and had shown remorse.

He said she had a number of issues and was basically a good person in need of help .