Man Who Has Assaulted Emergency Workers Five Times In Five Years Avoids Jail After Threatening Officers With A Knife

A man who has assaulted members of the emergency services five times in five years has avoided being sent to prison after he threatened officers with a knife after confronting them as they dealt with a separate domestic incident.

Callum Shaw, 22, of Greenwood Gardens, Molescroft, Beverley, wielded a blade at police officers as he told them that he had COVID-19 while also threatening to spit on them.

Officers tasered Shaw after he refused to put down the knife that he was waving above his head outside his property.

Hull Crown Court heard that on 22nd April this year, Shaw left his house in the early hours of the morning to confront response team officers who were dealing with a domestic incident at another property.

Shaw was not involved in the incident but decided to confront officers as they tried to resolve the domestic dispute having been called to the address.

Prosecuting, Ayman Chokhar told the court that this offence was Shaw’s fifth assault on emergency workers within five years.

The court also heard how Shaw already has seven convictions for 12 other crimes.

Shaw also committed the most recent offences while he was on a community after he assaulted two emergency workers in January this year.

Mr Chokhar explained to the court that:

“The defendant came out of his home and [the police officer] saw that he was unsteady on his feet and slurring, so escorted him back into the property.

“Around one minute later, he came back out wielding an eight-inch kitchen knife.

“The defendant did not threaten anyone but ignored repeated requests from police to put the knife down, and he then raised his right arm with the knife in it and began to walk towards to the police.

“The police officers feared for their safety and had to deploy a taser three times and then arrested him.

“He then swore and attempted to kick the officers and said that he had coronavirus and threatened to spit at them.

“He said ‘let go of me right now, I have coronavirus and will spit at you’, but luckily he did not spit at them”.

Presiding Judge Ahmed Nadim took pity on Shaw after his solicitor told that court that Shaw’s actions were a “cry for help”.

Instead of putting Shaw behind bars, the Judge released him home and told him to stay out of trouble for six months under a deferred sentence.

Shaw’s sister had also written a letter to the Judge, asking him to give Shaw “a second chance”.

“The easy thing for me to do would be to send you to prison, and many might argue that that is what I ought to do,” said Judge Nadim.

He added: “But I bear in mind that you are a young man and that you’ve had a troubled history.

“I give you credit for entering a guilty plea, and I bear in mind the very moving and helpful letter that has been written by your sister on your behalf.

“You are a young man with potential. You have a caring and loving support system.

“You have difficulties, but the responsibility lies with you to take advantage of the help that has been given to you by the court. You have spurned that offer by behaving in the way you have.

“But I’m going to invest faith and trust in you, and I’m going to give you one final opportunity to demonstrate you can live in a law-abiding manner”.