A 35-year-old man from Swindon has been charged with multiple offences after an argument about his parents giving him a lift led to him pulling a knife on police officers.
Craig Day, of Briarswood Court in Liden, has pleaded guilty to common assault, threatening a person with a bladed article, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour and two counts of criminal damage.
Prosecutor Adam Cooper told Swindon Magistrates Court on July 23 that in the incident, which took place two days earlier, Day stood with a knife at the top step of his parent's house in Coronation Road telling officers: “At least one of you is going to die today.”
“He was intoxicated, damaging walls, smashing things up and he put a knife in the wall at one point,” added Mr Cooper.
“He went to headbutt his stepfather but didn't and police were then called.
“When they arrived, Day stood at the top of the stairs with a knife while a police officer was at the bottom.
“He was making threats and saying ‘don’t f*** with me, you’re going to die slowly.”
The court heard how the 35-year-old was then tasered when he started to come down the stairs with the knife as police officers feared for their own safety.
But according to Defence Lawyer Mark Glendenning, who represented Day in the hearing on July 23, the incident all started with a dispute over getting a lift.
“His mum and stepdad came home and he had asked for a lift and they said no,” said Mr Glendenning.
“An argument ensued and it escalated from there. He is apologetic to his mum and stepfather.”
“Mr Day accepts in large part what is said to have happened.
“He had been drinking and admits he has an alcohol problem. His grandmother had recently died.”
Police say they tasered the defendant for their own safety (Image: Getty)
Day has 33 previous convictions and the court noted this incident was an escalation in his previous offending.
His case has now been adjourned while a pre-sentence report is put together.
Day will next appear in Swindon Magistrates' Court on August 29, and until then he has been released on bail with conditions to not visit his mother’s address or have any contact with his mother and stepfather.
“The offences that we are charging you with and that you pleaded guilty to involve a knife, abuse, threats, alcohol and spitting,” said chair of the magistrates bench, Peter Searle.
“These are really serious matters and could result in a prison sentence.”
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