Father, 42, threatened to slit his wife and three children’s throats after they confronted him about going on a 12-hour cocaine and drink binge when he said he was only popping out to buy cigarettes

• Lee Wright took his wife and three children aged, 13, 11 and 3 hostage in May
• He bundled them into a bedroom and vowed to slit their throats while drunk 

A deranged father threatened to slit his wife and three children’s throats after they confronted him about going on a 12-hour cocaine and drink binge. 

Lee Wright, 42, took his wife Jodie and three children aged, 13, 11 and 3 hostage at knifepoint and shouted ‘I am going to kill you all’ after he arrived home late and drunk from the pub when he said he was only popping out to buy cigarettes.

Wright had left on the afternoon of the May 29 this year and eventually returned home in Weaste, Salford at 1:30am the following morning when he was confronted by his wife. He then picked up a knife and threatened to stab her.  

The father later bundled his wife and children into a bedroom and vowed to slit their throats. He then called police himself and warned that ‘if you turn up to the house, you will find four bodies inside’. 

Wright was eventually arrested after storming out of the house to sit in his van. He was jailed for 40 months at Manchester Crown Court after he admitted four charges of making threats to kill, criminal damage and common assault. 

Lee Wright (pictured), 42, threatened to slit his wife and three children’s throats after they confronted him about going on a 12-hour cocaine and drink binge 

When quizzed by police Wright gave no comment in interview before closing the session by saying: ‘It’s all b******t anyway.’

In a statement Jodie who has since refused to have any contact with her husband said: ‘The children will be scarred for life because of their father’s behaviour. I have had to change the locks as a result of this incident..’

Throughout the hearing he waved, blew kisses and made mocking faces to family members including Jodie who sat in the public gallery.

Judge Hilary Manley told him: ‘Judging by your manner in the dock and frequent interruptions I detect a level of arrogance in you. You are a man who thinks he can do what he wants without any thought of what others think.’

She added: ‘This was a very serious incident and is not like other offences of threats to life. This occurred in a confined space into which you forced your family.

‘Furthermore, you were behaving in a way that was all too believable for your young children to believe that you would carry out your threats. I am in no doubt that the affect on your children will be profound and they won’t forget what happened in the early hours of that morning for a long time.’

Earlier James Preece, prosecuting said, ‘On the afternoon of the 29th of May 2023, the defendant left the family home saying he wanted to get some cigarettes. When he did eventually return it was 1:30am the following morning.

‘One of the children heard the defendant come into the house and saw him talking to himself in the kitchen. He was clearly quite heavily intoxicated. 

‘When Jodie came downstairs and approached the defendant, he struck out at her, knocking the items she was holding out of her hands. He then picked up a kitchen knife and held it above his head saying, “do you want me to stab you”.

‘The defendant then grabbed Jodie and dragged her upstairs. All the while he was shouting with his fist raised at her as if he was going to punch her. 

‘In the process Jodie managed to call 999 but was not able to talk to the operator before she was forced to hang up. When they got to the top of the stairs, the defendant shouted, “come on let’s go get all the kids”.

‘He took Jodie into the bedroom shared by both their daughters and threw her on to the bed next to them. All the children were scared and crying at this point. 

Wright was jailed for 40 months at Manchester Crown Court (pictured) after he admitted four charges of making threats to kill, criminal damage and common assault

‘The defendant then went to the room next door to get their three-year-old son, who was taken by the defendant and thrown on the floor on the bedroom, so all the family were now in that room.

‘The defendant then began to headbutt a wardrobe and throw items across the room in anger. He also pulled the TV off the wall and threw it around. All throughout this his children cried for him to stop. The defendant then approached Jodie and punched her in the right side of her face.

‘The defendant told all four of them to stay in the bedroom and threatened to kill them with the kitchen knife if they didn’t comply. He said, “I am going to kill you all, I am going to slit all your throats”. In response the children shouted, “please don’t kill us daddy”.

‘The defendant then called the police and said that if they turn up to the house, they will find four bodies and also threatened them with a standoff. 

‘After around half an hour, the defendant left the bedroom and went out of the front door to sit in his van on the road. The police arrived a short while after and arrested him. The kitchen knife was recovered from the front garden.’

The defence counsel for Wright, Laura Broome, said: ‘He has very little recollection of the incident due to him being under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time. He spiralled out of control at the time, which led to him acting horrifically towards the people he loves the most.

‘He burst into tears when he spoke to me about what he had done earlier, and he clearly feels guilty that his behaviour will affect his children. 

‘He has not spoken to them for a number of months now and this is the longest he has gone without contacting them. Before this incident he would pick them up from school every day and take them out for food.’

‘He works as a subcontractor and his former employer has told me of his hard-working nature. His wife, has also told me that she does not wish for a restraining order to be imposed.’

Wright will serve one half of his sentence in prison before serving the remaining period on license.

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