Face of thug who doused himself with petrol and threatened to kill ex with a knife

Kurtis Millar – pictured here for the first time – turned up at his ex-partner’s home in Antrim in January stripped to his boxers, and holding a number of knives along with a cannister of petrol and a toilet roll soaked in the highly flammable liquid.

After waking his ex and a child, he proceeded to smash windows in her home.

A judge said his actions were reminiscent of Jack Nicholson’s infamous character Jack Torrance in the 1980 classic movie where he breaks through a door with an axe, shouting “Here’s Johnny!” while his wife and son cower inside.

Incredibly, 29-year-old Millar – who previously served time in prison for wounding with intent – walked free, having already spent time in prison on remand.

The horrifying case is sure to raise eyebrows among women’s groups who have called for tougher sentencing for cases of domestic abuse – although the judge claimed a suspended sentence offered the victim more protection.

Millar is the nephew of another Antrim thug, Clint Millar, who walked free from the same court last month after he repeatedly punched a man in a barber shop attack while drunk on whiskey.

Pictured here for the first time, Clint Millar (41), from the Rathglynn area of the town, admitted assault and attempted criminal damage to a door at the business on November 25 last year.

His nephew Kurtis is believed to be extremely lucky not to have been jailed for his terrifying January attack.

As reported in Facebook page Court News NI, Kurtis Millar was handed a suspended sentence after turning up at his ex’s home after 4am on January 6.

He appeared at Antrim Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, via video link from prison and pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a canister of petrol and a lighter with intent to cause criminal damage; a threat to kill; possession of three knives; possession of a knife with intent to commit criminal damage; disorderly behaviour, and causing criminal damage to windows and a front door.

A prosecutor said police received a 999 call from a woman who said her ex-partner Millar was outside her home address and he had thrown a brick through a front window.

Police arrived and saw him in a front garden wearing “just a pair of boxer shorts”.

A window of a front door and living-room window were smashed, and when arrested the defendant was shouting.

The woman told police she was awakened by the front door bell being constantly rung and when she looked outside she saw Millar with “two knives”, shouting that was coming into the house and was going to kill her.

Millar then smashed a window with a brick and threw what the woman believed to be a knife at an upstairs window. There was damage to the front door consistent with a knife being pushed into the door.

The prosecutor said Millar “then removed all his clothing”.

Police seized three knives, a canister of petrol and a “toilet roll that was doused in petrol”.

The prosecutor said there was “no evidence that any items had been set on fire”.

A defence barrister said the defendant had been in custody since January and pleaded guilty.

The lawyer said a “very sinister aspect” of the case was the canister of petrol.

He told the court: “When police arrived at the scene this petrol, for whatever reason, had been used by Millar, who doused himself.

“His clothes were soaking in petrol. He was standing in this poor lady’s garden in his boxer shorts. Whether he had intent to set fire to himself is a real issue.

“He was very intoxicated.”

He said “alcohol and drug misuse” played a part in the defendant’s record – which included wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm in 2016, for which he was jailed.

Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes said in January the latest incident was like “something out of The Shining. She must have been absolutely petrified”.

He said his sentencing was a “balancing exercise between punishment and protection of the injured party” and “my main concern is the protection of the injured party”.

Judge Holmes handed down an 18-month prison term, suspended for three years.

He said if he had given a custodial sentence, because the defendant had already spent time on remand he would walk out in a “few months’ time and there is going to be no protection for this young lady at all”.

A five-year restraining order was also put in place.