Leeds man threatened bailiff with scissors after children said a 'strange man' was seizing property from home

Ulrich Kenmogne-Kouam, 40, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday (June 7) for one count of threatening a person with a bladed article.

The court heard that a bailiff had entered Kenmogne-Kouam’s property on Carlton Gate in Little London on September 24 last year to exact a high court judgement relating to Kenmogne-Kouam’s ex-partner, who no longer lived there.

The bailiff gained entry and began seizing property, at which point Kenmogne-Kouam’s two children who he had with the ex-partner called him to say that a “strange man” was in the home.

Kenmogne-Kouam returned to the address and confronted the bailiff, calling him a “f****** b******”.

The bailiff then telephoned the police and Kenmogne-Kouam began to calm down but when the bailiff entered his bedroom he “lunged at him” multiple times with a pair of scissors. Bodycam footage from the bailiff was shown in the court in which he could be heard shouting “he’s stabbing me”.

The court heard that Kenmogne-Kouam was interviewed at his home by police and denied the offences, saying that the bailiff was the “aggressor”.

In Kenmogne-Kouam’s defence, Mike Walsh said: “This was a situation that was thrust upon him through no fault of his own.

"He tried to make it clear that the person the bailiff was looking for no longer lived at the address. The bailiff persevered looking around the house. The tipping point was the moment the bailiff decided to enter the defendant’s bedroom.

"The defendant simply didn’t want that person in his personal quarters.”

Mr Walsh said that Kenmogne-Kouam was “clearly in the wrong for arming himself with scissors” but that he had no intention of harming the bailiff.

"He was trying to scare or intimidate or get the bailiff to leave. Clearly there are better or more appropriate ways to deal with the situation.”

He also told the court that Kenmogne-Kouam should receive credit for having no previous convictions and for pleading guilty.

Ms Recorder Leila Benyounes sentenced Kenmogne-Kouam to 16 months suspended for two years and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.