Angry dad threatened to stab police during 15-minute stand-off at Wakefield home

An officer was forced to grab a chair to protect himself after he became trapped in Leon Hemmingway’s home in Wakefield, while another officer was outside trying to force his way in.

Hemmingway had even lunged at the officer trying to get in, swinging one of the knives at him, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The officers had tried to arrest the 38-year-old for breaching a restraining order taken out by his former partner.

He had ignored the order not to contact the woman, and was angry over what he deemed to be a lack of access to their daughter.

Prosecutor Heather Gilmore said the couple had been together for 12 years but split in 2020, with his partner saying she had tried to leave him on a number of occasions because he was “violent and emotionally abusive”.

The one-year restraining order was imposed on May 30 this year, with social services already involved over his child access.

Then on September 25, over the course of the day he rang his former partner 49 times, but she refused to answer. He also sent her 65 text messages, many of which were abusive.

He threatened to go to her home and damage her car and put her windows through. The police were called and the two officers attended his home on Canal Lane, Stanley.

Hemmingway became agitated and he tried to stop them from entering, even after they used PAVA spray on him. With one officer inside holding up the chair, and the other with his foot jammed in the door from the outside, Hemmingway grabbed the first knife and swung at the officer outside.

He called his ex partner and became irate saying he would “come after her” and “kill her”, Miss Gilmore said. He also grabbed a second kitchen knife.

The stand-off was caught on the officer’s body-worn camera footage. It was heard that he would have calmer moments during the 15 minutes, and said he was angry that he could not see his daughter.

It only came to an end when other officers arrived and threatened to Taser him, and he put the knives down. He gave no comments during his police interview.

He later admitted two counts of making threats with an offensive weapon in a private place, harassment, sending threatening messages and breach of a restraining order.

He appeared in court from custody, having been held on remand since his arrest. He has previous convictions including actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

A probation report into his behaviour reiterated his need for more contact with his daughter. Mitigating, Martin Morrow said: “He is deeply ashamed of his behaviour and wishes through me to apologise.”

Judge Simon Batiste acknowledged that Hemmingway had autism and mental health difficulties, but said: “You started a campaign of harassment which caused great upset. As a result the police attended and what followed was a stand-off.

"They had to grab chairs to protect themselves. These offences are so serious only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.”

He jailed him for three years and two months.