Yahoo News Hotel horror - man barges into woman's room and keeps her prisoner
A terrified woman feared that she was about to be brutally murdered after a knife-carrying criminal with a long history of violence knocked on her hotel room door and barged his way inside before keeping her prisoner.
The woman was left fearing for her life and she was traumatised after convicted robber Christopher Prior suddenly appeared in front of her when she opened the door. She had been expecting a takeaway delivery to her room at a Hull city centre hotel.
She told the intruder: "Please don't hurt me. I have got children." He was holding a knife but he did not actually use it or harm the woman during her frightening ordeal, Hull Crown Court heard.
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Prior, 39, from Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted false imprisonment, burglary and possessing a knife. Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that, on February 26, Prior entered the kitchen of an Italian restaurant in Princes Avenue, west Hull, at about 6.15pm through an open back door. "He took a kitchen knife," said Mr Masson.
He went into the seating area of the restaurant without speaking to anybody. At 6.20pm, an elderly couple were at home when the husband heard the patio door being opened.
He went into the kitchen and saw Prior. "He was shocked and frightened," said Mr Masson. The man walked backwards and Prior followed him. He seemed to be in a hurry as though somebody was chasing him and he twice told the occupier to sit down.
The man told Prior that his wife suffered from a heart condition. Prior left the house. He must have had the knife with him at the time but the householder did not see it, the court heard.
At 6.35pm, Prior entered the Travelodge in Hull city centre and walked down the side of the hotel bar. "He was carrying a knife in his right hand at the side of his body," said Mr Masson.
"He placed the knife under his jacket and tried unsuccessfully to gain entry to the private kitchen area. He approached the guest access door but he was unable to open it." Prior left the Travelodge in an agitated state.
He went to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Ferensway, Hull, and, at 7pm, knocked on the door of a woman who, by coincidence, was waiting for a takeaway delivery to her top-floor room.
She opened the door and Prior pushed his way past her into the room, holding a knife in his right hand. "She shouted for help," said Mr Masson.
"The defendant told her to stop shouting and that he was not going to hurt her." Prior shut the door and the woman backed away. She told him: "Please don't hurt me. I have got children." She was terrified and was frightened of what he might do to her.
Prior told the woman that he just needed somewhere to hide. "She told him that he could stay and that she would leave but he told her to stay in the room," said Mr Masson. "She was absolutely terrified. She thought that she was about to be murdered." Prior was holding the knife. He left the room after about three minutes and there was later an encounter with the police while he had the knife.
The woman later said that it was the most terrifying experience of her life and it left her traumatised. She suffered flashbacks and had experienced physical terror and nightmares on several occasions since the incident.
She was receiving therapy and her work had been affected. She did not know if she could stay in a hotel again as she did not feel safe and was often preoccupied.
Prior had convictions for 74 previous offences, including 43 for theft-related matters. He had been jailed for eight years at Chester Crown Court in September 2013 for two offences of robbery and another of possessing an offensive weapon.
He had been jailed for 12 years in 2018 for an offence of wounding with intent that was committed while he was in prison.
Nigel Clive, mitigating, said that Prior apologised for his actions. "Many people were adversely affected by his disgraceful behaviour that day," said Mr Clive.
"He can't take back his deeds. He can do the next best thing and he pleaded guilty. There can be no real mitigation of what he did. He thinks it's disgraceful."
There was no physical contact with the woman during the false imprisonment incident. "There were no demands made of her," said Mr Clive. "It was terrifying. There are worrying aspects of this offending. Happily, nobody was harmed."
Prior had been recalled to prison until 2030 after breaching his licence after being released previously. "He has had a month without drugs," said Mr Clive. "He is doing well."
Judge Tahir Khan KC told Prior: "There is no doubt that there was absolutely no good reason for you to be walking around the streets carrying a knife. It wasn't used. That much is for sure but the fact that you had it is deeply troubling."
Judge Khan said of the hotel incident: "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."
Prior was jailed for three years.
