‘You will burn in your flat and all your family are going to hell!’ Lincoln woman who threatened to kill husband and neighbour jailed

A woman who made repeated threats to kill her husband and sent a malicious letter to an ex-neighbour has been jailed.

Melissa Abolina, 27, previously known as Melissa Fenn, admitted a prolonged campaign of controlling and coercive behaviour towards her partner, a factory worker in Branston.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the conduct began after the couple moved in together during 2023.

David Allan, prosecuting, told the court: "This is a case where there was fear of violence on many occasions."

Mr Allan said the couple married in late November 2023 but there was an incident on their honeymoon in Cyprus where Abolina bit her husband on the cheek and he locked himself in the bathroom.

In January this year Abolina told her husband: "I will kill you in your sleep if you don't do what I want."

A further incident took place in February when Abolina pushed her husband in front of traffic outside Lincoln railway station, the court heard.

And in March during a visit to the family of her husband in Latvia she told them: "You'll never see him again."

Mr Allan said Abolina later posted her husband's name on Facebook alongside the words RIP.

She also made further false allegations about her husband on Facebook and contacted his employer.

An audio recording of threats made by Abolina during a conversation with her husband was also played in court.

During the conversation Abolina could be heard saying: "I will kill you one day, that is what I am planning to do."

She added: "I don't want you alive, I don't like you."

An impact statement from the victim was read out in court.

He described how he was forced to move and added: "I did not know what she was capable of and was living in fear."

Abolina, of St Andrews Street, Lincoln, admitted controlling and coercive behaviour towards her husband and a second charge of malicious communication towards an ex-neighbour.

Mr Allan said that incident took place on February 28 when Abolina posted a letter through the door of a former neigbour in St Botolphs Cresecent, Lincoln.

The letter contained the words: "I will kill your dog and kick your doors in."

It added: "You will burn in your flat and all your family are going to hell."

That victim was left in fear of opening her front door, Mr Allan added.

Mark Savage, mitigating for Abolina, said her guilty pleas had spared her husband giving evidence in court.

Abolina was allowed to watch the sentence via a videolink from Peterborough prison where she is currently in custody but repeatedly left her seat during the case.

Judge Philip Head said he would continue to pass sentence on Abolina as he took the view that she was deliberately absenting herself.

Passing sentence Judge Head said he was willing to accept that Abolina's responsibilty was substantially reduced by her own mental difficulties.

But Judge Head said much of her conduct was designed to maximise fear in her husband.

"It was clearly persistent and prolonged," Judge Head added.

Today (Tuesday, November 19) Abolina was jailed for 72 weeks.

Restraining orders were also made which prevent Abolina from having contact with her husband and ex-neighbour for five years.