Riot officers called in to tackle knife-carrying teenager at Wetherby YOI

Officers at Wetherby Young Offender Institute were asked to suit-up in protective gear to confront Romeo Barnett after he refused to return to his room and picked up a chair as a weapon.

The 19-year-old was being held in the segregation unit of the York Road centre in April of last year, and had been taken to a classroom for a 30-minute one-to-one session, prosecutor Lydia Carroll told Leeds Crown Court.

When an officer entered at the end of the session to tell him his time was up, Barnett refused to get up. After talking for 10 minutes and "going round in circles", with the defendant becoming "more and more angry", the officer called for back up.

Barnett then picked up a chair and then swung it at the team of officers who entered the room but was quickly taken to the floor. However, he bit the hand of one officer before being lifted up and escorted away.

As he was being carried, the home-made knife made of a sharpened chunk of metal with a black cloth handle fell from his trouser leg. He was interviewed but refused to answer any questions before walking out of the room.

The court was told Barnett, who is serving a 44-month sentence, has 15 previous convictions for 27 offences. The list include robberies and carrying weapons.

Appearing in court via video link from HMP Peterborough, he admitted assaulting an emergency worker, ABH and possession of a bladed article.

Mitigating, Emily Calman said: "He knows he should not have behaved in this manner. He has learned a lesson from this. Fortunately, the weapon was not produced. He is remorseful and trying to better himself."

She said he had post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) and was struggling to overcome issues he experienced as a child, although they were not disclosed.

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Judge Robin Mairs told Barnett: "It was frustrated violence for its own sake. It was a power struggle between you and them and you weren't going to back down without resorting to violence."

He handed him 10 months' jail, but this will run consecutively to his previous sentence.