Thug threatened to rape hospital worker’s family
KNIFEMAN CLAIMED TO BE A MEMBER OF SALFORD’S NOTORIOUS A-TEAM GANG
The public need protecting from offences like these
Judge Tania Griffiths QC at Manchester Crown Court
A KNIFEMAN who threatened to stab a hospital security guard to death and rape his family has been spared jail.
Lee Steenson, 31, declared himself a member of notorious Salford gang the A-team during a stand-off at Salford Royal Hospital last month.
During a drink-fuelled outburst outside the hospital’s pathology lab, Steenson had to be tackled by three security guards. They managed to detain and remove his eight-inch blade before police arrived.
After admitting offences of using threatening language and possession of a blade, Steenson was hauled before Manchester Crown Court to be sentenced.
Judge Tania Griffiths QC blasted his behaviour on October 2 as ‘disgusting’ and ‘despicable’ as she told him he deserved to be sent straight to prison.
But after hearing that Steenson had recently been diagnosed with a emotional and unstable personality disorder,
Judge Griffiths was persuaded otherwise.
Steenson, of Greenbrow Road, Wythenshawe, was sentenced to 15 months in jail suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to complete an alcohol treatment programme and rehabilitation requirement.
Prosecutor, Rachel Widdicombe told the court that at around 1.35am, a security guard on duty at the hospital asked the defendant to leave the hospital after seeing him smoking and acting strangely while sitting next to an empty wine bottle.
Steenson began to get aggressive and threatened to stab the security guard to death and put his hands to his waist band, making the guard think he was carrying a knife, the judge was told. The court heard that Steenson told the guard he was a member of the A-team and threatened to get members of the gang to back him up.
He then ran towards the security guard, who had by that point asked for back-up, and Steenson was wrestled to the ground before he was found to be carrying an eight-inch blade. Steenson’s defence barrister, Stuart Duke, told the court his client had a long history of mental illness. Sentencing Steenson, Judge Tania Griffiths QC said: “The public need protecting from offences like these. But given my responsibility is to protect the public, if there is a chance of rehabilitation you should get it.”