Abusive boyfriend from Biggleswade held knife to partner’s throat and threatened to kill her

A Luton Crown Court jury yesterday found Matthew Duroe, of London Road, guilty of assault by beating and threatening to kill the woman.

The court heard that the attack happened at the home the couple shared in Rose Lane, when 35-year-old Duroe became aggressive after a night of drinking and appeared to accuse his victim of cheating on him.

Giving evidence from behind a screen pulled around the witness box, she told the court: “He just kept telling me he was going to kill me. He was going to stab me in the heart and it would be the end.

“I thought he was going to do it. I thought he was going to kill me. I just said: ‘If you are going to do it, hurry up and get it over’.”

The jury heard how the couple had been out with friends to watch a televised rugby game at The Red Lion pub in London Road on March 11 this year.

They all returned to Duroe’s home afterwards, and continued drinking and socialising together.

But when the friends left later that night, Duroe’s mood changed.

Prosecutor Terrence Woods said Duroe told the woman “I know what you have been doing”, before making the false accusations of cheating.

He persisted, the prosecutor said, and told her: “You know what’s going to happen tonight. It’s going to be you or me.”

Mr Woods said Duroe said he wanted to stab the woman, then held a kitchen knife to her neck and repeated the threat.

The court heard that later during the night the woman made a whispered 999 call to police while Duroe was elsewhere in the house, prompting officers to attend.

Duroe was found guilty of both charges, with Judge Michael Kay adjourning sentence for reports to be made. He granted the defendant bail, conditional on his living at an address in London Road.

Judge Kay told Duroe: “You should know the likely sentence will be a custodial one.”

Duroe is set to appear for sentence at Luton Crown Court on Wednesday, October 4.