Knifeman made claims to kill in ‘cry for help’
POLICE CALLED TO SUNDERLAND STREET AFTER REMARKS
A man took two knives into the street after calling the police to say he was about to kill someone during a “cry for help”.
Police had warned Michael Hilton he would be tasered if he did not drop the weapons he was carrying outside his home on June 23.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 35-year-old, who had downed three litres of Frosty Jack cider before the stand off, dropped the kitchen knives and immediately “changed” his angry demeanour when his mother came out of the house and spoke to him.
Hilton was arrested and confessed he had called the police and had then “panicked”.
He told officers he had drank the large amount of cider after months of having no alcohol at all.
Jennifer Coxon, defend- ing, said Hilton has long -standing mental health problems and had recently received bad news, which turned him to alcohol.
Miss Coxon said: “It was essentially a cry for help.
“It was he who contacted the police, essentially saying to them if they didn’t come out he would kill someone.
“He needed to be sectioned.
“There was no one around and he didn’t actually threaten anyone in the street.”
Hilton, of Balmoral Terrace, Sunderland, admitted two charges of having an offensive weapon.
He has been remanded in custody since the offences and appeared at the sentence hearing via video link to HMP Durham.
Judge Robert Adams said Hilton’s mental health problems “played a part in what happened” and intervention from the probation service to deal with Hilton’s difficulties would be the most constructive way to deal with the case.
Hilton was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation requirements.