TWO siblings have narrowly avoided being jailed after committing an affray and threatening to kill a Ross-on-Wye man.

Worcester Crown Court heard that brother and sister Daniel Kilpatrick, 31 and Stacey Kilpatrick, 36, both formerly of River View in Ross, had reacted to a message on social media that Patrick Pahita had reposted.

Prosecutor John Brotherton explained that it was this reposting that caused the siblings to react in the way they did, overnight on November 23 and 24, last year.

Mr Brotherton said: “Ms Kilpatrick sent a message to Mr Pahita’s mother Camila at 10.28pm stating, ‘Watch this space, your son thinks he is hard, so watch out’.

“Ms Kilpatick then sent a message to Mr Pahita, which culminated in her saying that she was threatening to kill him and his fiancée and would come to his home address.

“Both defendants then turn up to Mr Pahita’s address in Gloucester Road just after midnight and began kicking his door and repeatedly shouting out that they were going to kill him.

“Mr Pahita opened the door having armed himself with a baseball bat for his own self-defence. Facing abuse Mr Pahita hit out with the bat, sending Mr Kilpatrick to the ground.

“He then he saw that Ms Kilpatrick had armed herself with a knife and was running at him, screaming ‘I’m going to kill you’.

“Mr Pahita said that Ms Kilpatrick then tried to stab him with the knife and defended himself by twice hitting out at the woman with the bat.

“Mr Pahita returned to his flat and shut the door, but Ms Kilpatrick continued to bang on the door until brother Daniel pulled her away.”

The court was shown video evidence of the affray, which lasted over seven minutes.

In mitigation barrister Nick Berry for Ms Kilpatrick, explained that she now recognises that she shouldn’t have reacted in such a violent and aggressive way.

“It was the most unedifying episode that has been captured on CCTV. The seriousness of which was captured on the video evidence,” the lawyer said.

“I believe there is something far more constructive available for sentencing options rather than sending her into custody.”

Mark Thompson, for Daniel Kilpatrick, said: “During the early part of the affray my client received a broken eye socket after being hit with the baseball bat.

“His involvement thereafter was limited. Since this incident he’s having difficulty with his mental health.

“Mr Kilpatrick turned to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape from his difficult upbringing. I believe he would benefit from a community-based sentence as he has expressed genuine remorse over this incident.”

Both defendants admitted their part in the affray, between November 22 and 25, 2024; Mr Kilpatrick also admitted sending an unprovoked threatening message on social media to the victim’s mother Camila on November 24 and sending a friend of his former partner an offensive message on November 13, 2024.

Ms Kilpatrick also admitted threatening Mr Pahita with a knife and sending threatening communications – a threat of death - on November 23, also sending an offensive message to his mother on the same date.

Judge Seanin Gilmore told both defendants: “This must have been a terrifying incident for Mr Pahita and his finance.”

The judge told both defendants that the common theme running through all the statements made by the victims is the fear they felt and the impact the incident continues to have on them, both mentally and on their everyday lives.

“It was a prolonged incident, made worse because both of you had been drinking prior to this incident,” the judge said and sentenced Mr Kilpatrick to a custodial sentence of 18 months,

In sentencing Ms Kilpatrick, the judge told her that she was in a more serious position, despite being a vulnerable woman herself and sentenced her to a custodial term of 22 months.

Judge Gilmore told both defendants: “At first blush, having seen the video evidence, I considered that the only appropriate punishment for both of you should be a custodial sentence, as the conduct on that occasion was so serious.

“However, I’ve seen evidence that you’ve both have made efforts in rehabilitation. If I were to send you to prison, you’d only serve a fraction of the sentence, but if I suspend the sentence, you will be required to work with probation for the next two years.”

Both custodial sentences were suspended by the judge for two years and then subjected the siblings to a restraining order not to contact the victims by any means for five years.

Mr Kilpatrick was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring and a 12-month mental health treatment requirement. Ms Kilpatrick was ordered to undertake 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.