A stepfather threatened to chop his wife's children up and feed them to his pet alligators, a court has heard.
The threat was one of many that Erjan Ibrahim made to Hazel Wright and the three teenagers, it is alleged.
The 41-year-old kept lizards, snakes and Cayman alligators in the basement of his home in Wellingborough Road, Northampton.
Ibrahim, appearing at Northampton Crown Court, denies assault charges and threats to kill.
He became so controlling, the jury was told, that he fitted a CCTV system at home to monitor his family's movements 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
" Some of his threats to kill involved feeding the children to these alligators"
He is also accused of keeping an axe in the property.
Opening the case, Matthew Brookes-Baker, prosecuting, said: "The defendant's behaviour towards these children and his wife became increasingly bizarre and threatening over the years.
"A feature of this case is that the defendant kept a number of reptiles in his property, which the children and Mrs Wright lived at.
"Two of the reptiles were alligators and they became relevant because some of his threats to kill involved feeding the children to these alligators."
Chop kids
Giving evidence Mrs Wright said: "I actually felt that his threats were getting to become reality.
"If I didn't do as I was told he said he would make me childless or he would make my children motherless.
"(He said he would) chop my kids up and feed them to the alligators."
It is also alleged the defendant attacked the county council youth worker by sinking his teeth into her arm.
Ibrahim denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assault by beating and four counts of threats to kill.
The case continues.
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