Syringe stab threat to hospital staff lands man in jail

Michael Brailsford (34) threatened to stab Rotherham Hospital staff after producing the needles from his trousers.

He pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour and possession of a bladed article and was jailed for 16 months at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday (July 1).

Judge Rachael Harrison told him: “You can’t threaten people who work in the public area who are there to try and help.”

Mitigating, Ms Rebecca Tanner, said Brailsford understood it had been an “unpleasant incident and a serious matter”.

He has been remanded in custody since the offences occurred on March 9.

Ms Tanner added: “He desperately requires some assistance in a constructive manner and would invite you to consider imposing a suspended sentence to allow him to make the progress he’s started to make since being remanded in custody.” 

Brailsford has a lengthy record dating back to 2004, including possession of an offensive weapon, harassment and several convictions for dishonesty and breaching court orders.

He has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and behavioural disorders which have not been helped by his drug addiction, said Ms Tanner.

Since being in custody over the past four months, he had been “medicated and compliant”, she said.

“In his mind, he’s doing very well and he wants to become clean,” she said.

Explaining her decision not to suspend his sentence, Judge Harrison said: “Medication takes time to work, when you are released you fail to comply with help offered and medication required.

“The pre-sentence report shows you have very little motivation to change your lifestyle or behaviour in the community.”

The judge said Brailsford’s behaviour around the time of the incident at Rotherham Hospital had appeared to be due to illicit drugs “rather than his mental health”.

She added: “You have disregarded all the assistance you had been offered.”

Brailsford was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the threatening behaviour and will serve half his sentence on licence.

He was handed a 12-month supervision order but received no separate penalty for possession of the bladed article.