Year in jail for dad in stand-off with cops
ACCUSED THREATENED TO STAB OFFICER
A DAD who threatened to stab a police officer during a stand-off at his family’s Huddersfield home has been jailed.
Umar Farooq repeatedly breached a restraining order by going to his wife and children’s house in Paddock twice last month.
The 32-year-old demanded money from the woman before staging a stand-off with police, during which he threatened to stab one of the officers.
Leeds Crown Court heard the couple had been married for 11 years and had four children before separating around two years ago.
In July last year, Farooq was made subject to a restraining order, banning him from attending the family’s home or the children’s schools.
Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh said Farooq went to the house and knocked on the front door as his ex-wife was putting their children to bed at about 8.10pm on January 17.
When she opened the door, he stepped into the house and demanded she give him £10.
When the victim refused, Farooq said: “You give it to me or I’m not going.”
The woman told him: “You stay here, I’m going to go.”
She rounded up the children and they left the house together, but Farooq followed them outside.
The woman got into the family car with her eldest child, while the younger children walked to her mother’s house.
She locked the doors and called police.
Farooq told her not to call police and sat on the bonnet of the car.
The woman revved the engine and Farooq got off before she drove away.
Farooq left the scene in a car before police arrived.
A week later, he went back to the house and knocked on the door, which was opened by the couple’s three-yearold son.
Farooq walked in and began requesting money again. After he refused to leave, the victim got the children into the car, left with them and called the police.
Police arrived and tried unsuccessfully to force entry to the house.
Farooq climbed out of an upstairs window and the force negotiator had to be called to get him down.
He shouted abuse at police and threatened to stab one of the officers.
Farooq was talked down and arrested.
The woman went back into the house and discovered the headboard on her bed and the blinds on the bedroom window had been damaged.
The court was told the victim believes Farooq wanted money due to his drug problem.
In his police interview, Farooq said he had been invited to the house.
Police had previously been called to the property over domestic incidents, which he said were related to his cocaine use.
Farooq, of Trinity Street, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a restraining order and a public order offence.
He has 16 previous convictions for 26 offences, including for breaching a non-molestation order, possession of a Class B drug and burglary.
He was on licence when he breached the restraining order.
Andrea Parnham, mitigating, said her client has “fluctuating” mental health problems and finds it difficult not seeing his children.
Ms Parnham said Farooq lives with his parents, looks after his dad, who has health problems, and works part-time doing maintenance on properties.
Farooq was jailed for a year.