Two-day armed stand-off because tenant didn’t want gas meter serviced
AN armed stand-off lasting almost 48 hours was sparked because a tenant didn’t want his gas meter to be serviced.
Mark Wilson had refused entry to his home to carry out the essential maintenance work, leaving the authorities with no option but to get a warrant.
But when representatives from South Tyneside Homes, the council, police and workmen turned up to execute it, he armed himself with a machete and threatened to harm them.
There followed a tense stand-off at his then home on Lorrain Road, South Shields, which went on for almost two days.
At one point police tried to force entry and were confronted by Wilson wearing goggles, a face mask, a bike helmet, thick clothing and brandishing a machete.
He was shot four times with a taser but it had no effect due to his attire.
Police were forced to retreat and when they later got in again, Wilson assaulted a police dog handler before being brought under control.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that in the months before the siege, concerns had been raised from other tenants about Wilson, who was seriously mentally ill at the time.
It was on February 12 last year that the authorities went there with the warrant.
John Hobley, prosecuting, said: “The attendance was to do a gas service which was overdue. He having previously refused entry, a warrant had been obtained.
“Their knock on the door was met with screaming and abuse from his side.”
When a joiner began drilling the front door, Wilson became enraged and threatened: “If you come in here you are not getting out alive”.
Police tried to reason with him but it was then noted he had armed himself with a machete.
Firearms officers were called out but three hours of negotiations proved unsuccessful.
It went on for so long, officers were having to take it in shifts, the court heard.
Eventually, at 3.30am on February 14, they managed to get the door open and, after assaulting the PC, Wilson was brought under control.
Wilson had interfered with the gas
and electricity meters, using crude methods involving magnets, chicken wire and foil to try to disguise how much power he was using and bypassing the electricity meter.
Each meter had sustained around £200 of damage but the total repair bill for the property was close to £2,000, including the damage caused by the forced entry.
Wilson, 39, of Horton Avenue, South Shields, who has 36 previous convictions, admitted affray and two counts of criminal damage and was sentenced to 15 months suspended for two years.
Recorder Simon Kealey QC told him: “There was almost 48 hours of police time spent trying to negotiate with you and there were threats of violence to a number of public servants who were only doing their jobs.”
However the judge said Wilson, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was “acutely psychotic” at the time, although his mental health has now improved.
Gavin Doig, defending, said: “He was in a particularly acute state with regard to his mental health. That will be cold comfort to the police and council staff and his neighbours who had to put up with this inconvenience.
“Some 19 months have elapsed since and he has not re-offended and he is in a much improved state of mind now.
“He is a very different man now than he was then. His mental health could not be more improved.”