Arrested man’s cop van ‘panic’
CLAUSTROPHOBIA BLAMED FOR BEHAVIOUR
AN arrested man who tried to escape from a police van said he had a fear of confined spaces.
Officers were called to deal with an incident in Lowerhouses Road, Quarmby, at 5.30am on March 12.
While they were there they came across Andrew Wilson, who lives on the same street, and spoke to him about the matter.
The 31-year-old was handcuffed and placed in the back of the police vehicle while the officers went to speak with some other witnesses.
Kirklees Magistrates’ Court was told that as they were doing so Wilson exited the vehicle but was immediately detained.
Prosecutor Shamalia Qureshi said: “Out of nowhere he comes running out of the police vehicle, pushing past two officers.
“He was then immediately taken to the ground.”
The Huddersfield court heard that Wilson was last in court in August 2017 over an incident where he threatened to blow up police as they tried to arrest him.
The officers were dispatched to a house in Quarmby where they arrested him on suspicion of assault.
He became obstructive as they attempted to restrain him, telling them : “I might have a bomb on me, I’ll bomb you the f*** up you dumb f***s.”
Wilson refused to be handcuffed as he didn’t want the officers’ ‘nasty white skin’ touching his.
He was sentenced to a community order after admitting that he was drunk on beer and brandy at the time.
Wilson pleaded guilty to the new offence of resisting a police constable in the execution of his duty.
Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, said that his client suffered from a number of disabilities including anxiety and claustrophobia.
He explained: “When he’s put in a situation where he’s under pressure he panics.
“When he was in the police vehicle he panicked, pure and simple.
“Being in a confined space and knowing that he was going to be placed in a cell made him just want to run away. “He had no malicious intent.”
District Judge Michael Fanning fined Wilson £80 and ordered him to pay £85 court costs plus £30 victim surcharge.