A 42-year-old Ilkeston man has been sentenced after an eight-hour armed police stand-off at a property in Little Eaton earlier this year.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that Anthony Johns, of St Mary’s Street, Ilkeston, barricaded himself inside a bedroom at his relative’s home during the incident on 6 March.
Police were called to the address late that evening on an unrelated matter. Once officers arrived, Johns locked himself inside the room and shouted from a window towards police.
The court heard he threatened to harm himself and made threats towards officers while claiming to be armed. Specialist police negotiators attended and remained at the scene throughout the night.
At around 7am, officers wearing riot gear forced entry to the room. During the arrest, one officer was bitten and CS spray was used to restrain Johns.
Police recovered a knife, a sword and a pair of scissors from inside the bedroom. The court also heard that two bottles of spirits had been consumed during the stand-off.
Johns pleaded guilty to affray.
Sentencing him, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC acknowledged that the defendant had been struggling with depression and alcohol misuse at the time of the incident, describing him as someone who had “got himself in a mess” following difficulties in a relationship.
The judge imposed an 18-month community order, which includes a requirement to complete 15 rehabilitation activity sessions with the probation service.
In mitigation, the court heard Johns has since secured stable accommodation, has not consumed alcohol since the incident and is hoping to return to warehouse work with a former employer.