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Love-split Chapel Allerton man threatened to blow up own home
A love split Chapel Allerton barber who threatened to blow his house up in a gas explosion told police he'd behaved like an "utter loony".
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Mark O'Connor turned cooker gas rings on at his house in Chapel Allerton and told police: "I'm going to blow the house up and take everyone with me."
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Leeds Crown Court heard father-of-three O'Connor was in "emotional meltdown" and got agitated and upset during a phone conversation with his ex-wife who is with a man they were both previously friends with. His ex-wife called police after fearing O'Connor may harm himself from what he was saying during the call.
A family with a child were asleep in the adjoining semi-detached house during the incident on Henconner Crescent last October 25.
Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said O'Connor, 39, climbed out of an upstairs window onto the roof as he continued to shout threats about torching the house.
O'Connor shinned down his neighbour's drainpipe and was bitten by a police dog at the scene.
He suffered a serious arm injury from the dog bite.
O'Connor spent 10 days in hospital where he underwent two operations but has been left with permanent scarring and nerve damage.
Helen Hendry, for O'Connor, said he has a new partner and there is no longer acrimony between him and his ex-wife.
Miss Hendry said O'Connor told police he'd acted like an "utter loony" and a "complete div".
Judge Penelope Belcher handed O'Connor a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to pay his neighbour 50 compensation for the damaged drainpipe.
Judge Belcher told him: "These were acts of utter stupidity which exposed you, your neighbours and their child, to the risk of extreme injury and possible loss of life."
O'Connor had admitted threatening to destroy property and damaging property.
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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