Drunk man threatened to stab passers-by during police stand-off

A KNIFE-wielding drunken man who doused himself in petrol and threatened to set himself alight during a police stand-off has been jailed for more than two years.
Daniel Hallgate was jailed for more than two yearsDaniel Hallgate was jailed for more than two years
Daniel Hallgate was jailed for more than two years

Daniel Hallgate (30) armed himself with a hunting knife and threatened to stab members of the public during the incident in September.

He was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (11) after admitting affray, possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting a police officer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sentencing Hallgate, Recorder Duncan Smith said: “Your behaviour on that day is almost beyond words.

“The gravity of this offending is that in the middle of a Sunday morning, when people were going about their lawful activities, the peace is disturbed by your childlike behaviour.

“An awful lot of people were scared witless.”

Neighbours living on Ingshead Avenue, Rawmarsh, called the police at 7.15am on September 2 after hearing Hallgate, of no fixed abode, having a “domestic dispute” with his partner, Mr Neil Coxon, prosecuting, told the court.

Police dealt with that incident but were called back at around 10am, when a topless Hallgate, who has mental health issues, was trying to kick his way back into the property.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He was shouting and he appeared to be calling out for a knife,” said Mr Coxon.

Police officers saw Hallgate pick up a large hunting knife and run towards his partner’s property.

He then turned on the police and raised the knife in a threatening manner, said Mr Coxon.

Hallgate then held the knife to his throat before running into a house and threatening to kill himself.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There were a number of people in the street, watching what was happening and appearing to be scared,” said Mr Coxon.

Hallgate threatened to stab people in the area and then tipped fuel down him, threatening to set himself and the property on fire.

Armed police were called and persuaded Hallgate to drop the knife out of the window.

“Eventually, the defendant came down the stairs and surrendered himself to the police,” said Mr Coxon.

“He appeared, to the officers, to be heavily intoxicated.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hallgate was driven away in an ambulance with two police officers, but he was aggressive — hitting himself with his handcuffs and kicking out with his feet.

Officers tried to restrain him but he spat blood at PC Roy Pittendrigh, said Mr Coxon.

PC Pittendrigh said in a statement read to the court: “I certainly do not expect to be spat on for trying to help someone — this is the most disgusting form of assault in my opinion.”

The officer said he would have to endure months of tests to see whether he had picked up any blood-borne infections.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mitigating, Mr Andrew Smith said the defendant had not taken his anti-psychotic medication on the day of the incident.

Hallgate has 16 previous convictions for 40 offences and, during the latest incident, was out on licence for a seven-year prison sentence he received for his part in a three-day riot at the Moorlands Young Offenders Institution, Doncaster, in November, 2010.

Recorder Smith jailed Hallgate for two years and seven months to run concurrently to his seven-year sentence.

The court heard he was due to be in jail until early next year and would be unlikely to serve much longer than his existing sentence.

Related topics: