Lauren Sankey’s victim said “I was sure she was going to kill me”
Lauren Sankey outside Liverpool Magistrates Court
A furious mum armed herself with a knife and threatened to kill her friend, after she suspected her of swiping her cannabis stash. Lauren Sankey, 32, downed half a bottle of Absolut vodka before flying into “one of her rages” and lunging at her friend with the blade.
The incident occurred at Sankey’s Oatfield Lane home in Litherland on April 2 last year. Victim Harriet Burrows, a former schoolmate, had visited to celebrate her birthday, and the two women stayed up drinking after Sankey’s 14-month-old baby was put to bed.
The pair’s night passed in good spirits. But at 8am the following morning, Sankey “started to go mad”, Liverpool Magistrates Court was told.
Describing the events today, March 12, prosecutor Andrew Page said: “She (Sankey) went into the kitchen to find a tin where she stored her cannabis and couldn’t find it. She came into the living room and accused Ms Burrows of having it in her possession.
“Ms Burrows said she recognised Sankey was ‘going into one of her rages’. Her face completely changed and she started looking very angry and talking in a different voice.”
The victim, in a statement, said: “She said she was going to kill me, saying I’d best find it or she would kill me. No matter how much I said I didn’t have it, she wouldn’t listen.”
Sankey, a mum-of-two, went into the kitchen and armed herself with a 7-inch knife. Ms Burrows said: “She took hold of this in her right hand, lunging towards me several times. I had to push her away several times, resulting in scratches to both my arms. I was sure she was going to kill me.
“The whole time she was screaming ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you. At some point she went and locked the door so I couldn’t get out. I thought I wouldn’t get out.”
Ms Burrows called her dad for help, and Sankey reportedly threatened “if (he) turned up she would kill him too”. Eventually she unlocked the door and allowed Ms Burrows to leave with her dad, and police were called.
Sankey was arrested and taken to Copy Lane Police Station in Bootle, where she was met by detention officer Alexandra Hamilton.
Mr Page said: “From the moment she came in she was argumentative, and when told she was going to be searched, she stated ‘nobody’s going to touch me’.”
She made a noise ‘as if she was bringing up spit’, and Ms Hamilton and another officer took hold of her arms. Sankey then lashed out, kicking Ms Hamilton several times in the leg, causing bruising.
Mr Page said: “She was interviewed on the 2nd of April at Marsh Lane Police Station. In relation to the assault on an emergency worker, she was she was sorry. She said she had drank half a bottle of Absolut vodka and knows Ms Burrows from high school, and is her friend.”
The court heard Sankey had three assaults on her record between 2007 and 2020, and last appeared before the court in November 2020 for criminal damage, a public order matter and assaulting an emergency worker.
She pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm, threatening with an offensive weapon, and assaulting an emergency worker.
Rory McCormack, defending, said: “This incident was committed about one year ago on the 2nd of April and since that time there have been absolutely no further problems with this defendant. In fact one can see she has engaged fully with the drug agency and she is also engaged fully with social services in relation to the two children.
“There are glowing references that had been submitted to the court from the social worker and the drug clinic.
“Since the incident she has remained sober and has refrained from taking drugs. To understand how far she has moved in the year, it’s perhaps best to explain what sort of position she was in at the time.
“At the time she had severe problems with alcohol and misuse of drugs. She had a history of domestic violence against her and around the time this took place her ex had just been released from prison.
“Such has been her progress over the year that social services have taken her and the children off any care plans, and social services are satisfied there are no longer any risks to the two young children, who are aged two and four months.”
He said Sankey had “expressed remorse and shame for the actions that she carried out on the day in question”.
Sankey, of Oakfield Lane, Litherland, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and 20 rehabilitation days. She was given a restraining order banning her from contacting Ms Burrows, and ordered to pay £250 compensation to Ms Burrows and £50 to Ms Hamilton.
The magistrates said: “We do believe that, because of what has happened in the last 12 months, there is a realistic chance of rehabilitation for you. But also we’re aware of your two very small children, so that was part of the reason we agreed to suspend it.”