Man held knife to his throat in rooftop standoff
AWANTED man who led police on a 45 minute chase through Great Harwood before climbing on to a wine bar rooftop where he remained for eight hours has been jailed.
David Osbaldeston, 25, of Spring Street, Rishton, held a knife to his own throat and hurled roof tiles at police and emergency service personnel below from the roof of the former Snuffy’s Bar in the town.
Burnley Crown Court heard that ‘a huge amount of resources’ were used in the operation on June 23 this year including the police helicopter, two trained negotiators, police, fire officers and paramedics.
Prosecuting, Nicola Carroll, said Osbaldeston who was wanted on warrant at the time, had been spotted in the vicinity of Baggy’s Wine Bar by officers at around 4.30am.
She said: “He ran off and evaded police for around 45 minutes.
“He locked himself in toilets at a nearby taxi rank where he threatened to stab a female police officer.
“She deployed her PAVA spray to subdue him but he managed to evade her and then hopped through several gardens of nearby properties.”
During the foot chase Osbaldeston damaged a metal gate which cost £500 to repair.
Miss Carroll said that shortly after he made his way on to the roof of the former Snuffy’s Bar, which was unoccupied and semi-derelict and remained there until 12.30pm that day.
While on the roof he was seen to brandish a knife and threaten those below and himself.
The siege only ended when a negotiator got on to the roof and lunged at Osbaldeston, allowing police officers to arrest him.
The damage to the building was estimated to be around £5,000.
Mitigating for Osbaldeston, who had 29 previous convictions for 83 offences, James Heyworth said his client had suffered bereavements and illness in his family.
He said his client had taken cocaine and had his drink spiked with MDMA.
Osbaldeston was also sentenced, along with two other men, Adam Neal, 32, and Jordan Fowler, 22, both of HMP Preston, after they all admitted their involvement in an affray in a cell at the prison on December 8 last year after a row with another inmate about tobacco.
All three were sentenced to three months imprisonment for the prison affray.
In addition Judge Andrew Jeffries QC sentenced Osbaldeston to a further 18 months jail after he pleaded guilty to the rooftop affray, criminal damage and possession of a bladed article.