A TEENAGER who held a crossbow to a man?s head and threatened to kill him has been detained for six months. Simon Markham, 19, formerly of Lifton, appeared before Plymouth Crown Court last Friday and pleaded guilty to two charges of making threats to kill Thomas Sealy on March 11 and 12 this year. Paul Frost, prosecuting, said Mr Markham, who was under the influence of drink or drugs at the time, went to Mr Sealy?s address ?brandishing a crossbow?, accusing Mr Sealy of causing problems with his girlfriend. The court heard that Mr Markham held the crossbow, loaded with a chopstick, to Mr Sealy?s head, saying ?tell me the truth or your family will be dead?. The following day Mr Markham sent Mr Sealy three threatening text messages, one saying: ?I?m going to chop you up?. John Major, defending, said what Mr Markham wanted Mr Sealy to believe and what he intended to actually do were very different. He said Mr Markham had been motivated by rumours he believed Mr Sealy was spreading about him and his girlfriend. The court heard Mr Markham, currently living in a tent at Bude, had a previous conviction for shooting a BB gun at a youth worker and one for possession of a weapon in a public place. Sentencing Mr Markham to 26 weeks in a young offenders? institute, Judge Philip Darlow said Mr Markham?s actions had been ?pre-meditated?. ?This was intimidation in the most extreme form,? he said. ?You are demonstrating an emerging and escalating pattern of weapon-based offending,? he added.
