Court: Hospital order for McDonald's knifeman

A MENTALLY-ill man who took a knife to a branch of McDonald’s and “frightened” staff has been ordered to get treatment and has been banned from the fast food restaurant.

A MENTALLY-ill man who took a knife to a branch of McDonald’s and “frightened” staff has been ordered to get treatment and banned from the fast food restaurant.

Anthony Binney (33) went to the burger bar at Dalton, armed with a large kitchen knife, and claimed he was part of the food chain’s management — which a prosecutor said was “a figment of his imagination”.

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Binney, of St Leonard’s Lane, Eastwood, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday and ordered to stay at the hospital he was being treated in.

Police said Binney had been acting aggressively in the branch and threatening to staff and customers.

Summing up the evidence, Judge David Dixon said: “He demanded to find out who the manager was and then effectively caused difficulties whilst in that branch.

“The reason for all of this was that Mr Binney was working under the impression that he had some managerial stake in that branch or in McDonald’s generally.

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“He didn’t think the people working in that branch were working to the level he perceived they should be.”

Mr Dixon said Binney had behaved in a “frightening and distressing way”.

He said Binney’s medical reports had shown he had chronic paranoid schizophrenia, which made him hear voices and caused him “endless difficulties”.

Mr Andrew Smith, prosecuting, said: “There’s absolutely no substance in his claim to have been involved in that business.

“It’s entirely a figment of his imagination.”

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Mr Clarkson Baptiste, mitigating, said Binney had “significant mental health problems”.

Binney admitted at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on April 1 to possession of a bladed weapon and common assault.

Mr Dixon gave Binney a Section 37 hospital order which meant he should be treated for at least 28 days or until his treatment was complete.

He also banned Binney from entering the Dalton branch of McDonald’s by imposing a restraining order on him.

“There’s a restriction on him enterting that particular branch of McDonald’s so the staff there know they will be safe from him,” said Mr Dixon.