The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
KNIFE HELD TO THROAT OF WPC
Police have welcomed the sentencing of a man who assaulted two female officers and then threatened them with a knife after they came to help him.
Adrian Excell, (50), of Swan Gardens, Peterborough, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment at Cambridge Crown Court.
Officers had gone to help him after he made threats to end his own life - but instead he punched the constables, and then grabbed a kitchen knife to threaten them with, holding it to the throat of one of the officers.
Excell was jailed last week after pleading guilty to a number of offences at the court.
Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Zoe Slater said the two officers who had arrested Excell had shown ‘outstanding courage’ to help bring him to justice.
He was only stopped when one of the officers used her Taser.
The court heard that on January 16 this year, Excell had made numerous threats to end his own life to his daughter, who immediately contacted police to get help.
Two officers, PCs Nat Hines and Jess Farchica, were sent to check on Excell’s welfare and en-route were told he was wanted for a previous alleged offence.
On arrival, the pair were let in to the property but as they explained the purpose of their visit, Excell became irate and punched PC Hines several times in the face.
Excell left the room and returned with an eight-inch knife from the kitchen.
PC Farchica attempted to restrain him but Excell pinned her against a door and held the knife to her throat.
He then ran at PC Hines, who had put out an emergency message on her radio, but before he reached her PC Farchica deployed her Taser and he fell to the floor.
He was arrested at the scene and later pleaded guilty to attempted escape from lawful custody and two counts of assault with intent to resist apprehension at court earlier this year.
DC Zoe Slater said the two officers had helped make sure no-one else was harmed in the incident.
She said: “These two officers showed outstanding courage while dealing professionally with a hostile man.
“Their actions ensured that no harm came to Excell or any other members of the public.”