Drunken knifeman, 27, challenged Taser police
AMAN threatening to kill himself following a break-up threatened to hurl a butcher’s knife at police who were called by his own family.
Luke Spinks, 27, was filmed on a body-worn camera by officers who attended his mother’s home in Cardiff after he became agitated and told his family he wanted to take his own life.
During a confrontation with police, Spinks threatened to throw a nine-inch butcher’s knife and was described as “bouncing” on his feet in an aggressive manner.
He even pointed at an officer’s Taser and said: “I bet you I can throw this faster than you can shoot that.”
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard Spinks’ family went to his mother’s home in Vachell Road, in Ely, on May 9 to try to calm him down after he became upset about a break-up with his ex-partner.
He was described as being heavily intoxicated and had been drinking wine as well as taking cocaine and was shouting comments like: “I can’t believe this is happening to me again, I can’t take it”.
Spinks’ sister called the police and when two officers arrived at around 9.10am they could hear shouting from the rear of the property.
They found the defendant holding the knife to his right leg but he started to become aggressive and shouted at the officers “I f ****** hate you” while chastising his sister for calling them.
Prosecutor William Bebb said:
“The defendant walked towards the officers with the knife and they shouted to him to put it down.
“They feared for their safety and backed away from him and one of the officers thought she and her colleague were going to be stabbed.
“Mr Spinks was described as being dangerous and unpredictable.”
The police drew their batons while Spinks continued to shout abuse at them and was described as bouncing on his feet.
More officers arrived armed with Tasers and, after they implored him to put the knife down, Spinks dropped the weapon two metres in front of him but he continued to be verbally aggressive.
Following his arrest, Spinks was interviewed and admitted he was intoxicated due to him being upset about the break-up and said he wanted to self-harm.
He claimed he was not threatening the officers with the knife and was trying to get his point across to them.
The defendant, of Fitzhamon Embankment, Riverside, later pleaded guilty to affray. He was also in breach of a community order for shoplifting at the time of the offence.
Defence barrister Jonathan Lewis said his client reacted “extremely badly” when the police turned up at his mother’s property and believed it was a personal matter which did not require the police.
He described how the defendant has been prescribed anti-psychotic and anti-depression medication which he had not been taking in the run-up to the incident, leaving him “fragile emotionally”.
Judge Richard Twomlow sentenced Spinks to a total of 14 months in prison.
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