A brave taxi driver helped a woman escape the clutches of a convicted killer after he threatened to "chop her up."
The woman had been in a relationship with Christopher Alanazy, 42, for seven years at the time he made threats to kill her. For five of those years they had been together, Alanazy had been a serving prisoner.
Leeds Crown Court heard on Friday that following his release from his last custodial sentence, the woman reported a "change" in Alanazy who would "shout and swear and refer to his use of cocaine and heroin and made references to plans to kill himself."
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Prosecutor John Hobley said: "In December last year, she found it increasingly difficult to contact him. His phone was always off and she contacted his probation officer to make her aware and went to check on him."
The woman went to Alanazy's home in Brompton Mount, Beeston, on December 19 last year and was "ushered" inside. Mr Hobley said: "He was argumentative with her and told her to go get cigarettes, which she did. When she returned he said she was recording him and made accusations she was cheating on him and said if he found out he would break her jaw."
Alanazy, it was said, then ordered the woman to sit on a sofa, which she did, and the court heard he went into the kitchen and returned with a knife, demanding money. The court heard that woman said she would have to go to a cash point, which she did, and when she returned Alanazy told her it was not enough and accused her of having more money.
Mr Hobley said: "He said he 'knew people' and she understood he was making a threat. In a taxi into Leeds city centre, he said he knew people who would get money out of her and she believed that was in relation to prostitution. He said he would 'chop her up' and asked the taxi driver if he would reverse over her.
"The taxi driver heard him saying he would cut and or slit her throat."
Alanazy exited the taxi at a set of traffic lights, and began walking towards a bank. The court heard the driver asked the woman if she was ok and she told him she was "scared" of Alanazy. Mr Hobley said: "The driver spoke to his base who called the police and he dropped the woman in the Hyde Park area away from him [Alanazy.] He was arrested a few days later. In interview, he said he had had difficulties after prison and denied having taken a knife to her in the property...He said he couldn't recall making threats to her."
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He went on to plead guilty to making threats to kill at a plea, trial and preparation hearing.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Hobley told the court the woman "has not had a night of sleep and has nightmares." He said she thinks Alanazy is outside her house and is "coming for her." The prosecutor said: "It has impacted her health and causing her torment, distress and anxiety. She says he has made her want to take her own life.
"She says she wishes he would just hit her so the bruising would go away but the mental bruising is worse and is harder to get out of her brain."
The court was told Alanazy has previous offences on his record for violent crimes.
In 2012, YorkshireLive reported that Alanazy was put behind bars after threatening to kill a taxi driver and showing him where he stabbed another man to death. The driver's ordeal only ended when he stopped and fled the car. Alanazy drove off in the stolen taxi, crashing into a police car and trying to evade capture.
He had been jailed in 2001 for stabbing a man to death when he was a teenager over a row over his girlfriend. Brian Allert named Alanazy as his killer with his last breath and he was given a six-year custodial sentence after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of the newly-wed father.
During the hearing on Friday, while the prosecution finished its remarks, Alanazy left the room he was appearing in court over a video link from but returned and continued to shake his head.
Mitigating, Andrew Patterson, told the court: "Of course, cases of this nature will produce harm towards all victims and in almost all cases, significant harm. The issue for you [the judge] is whether the harm caused was very serious distress or significant psychological harm...
"She states quite clearly that nothing more severe than arguments occurred between him and herself in the previous seven years so as far as she is concerned this was an isolated incident."
Alanazy told the court that during his time in custody he has completed a number of domestic violence courses.
Recorder Green handed Alanazy an extended sentence made up of four-and-a-half years in custody and an extended licence period of two years. He will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before going before the Parole Board who will determine if he is safe for release. Once he is released, Alanazy will have to serve the extended licence period.
He said: "I have read the victim personal statement and it seems to me that regular nightmares are indicative of very serious distress...You are a violent bully so it made the threats all the more real...What you did presents a real risk to future partners."
Another hearing will be listed to determine whether a restraining order should be put in place.
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