Crazed thug stabbed binman then drove motorbike at police officer slashing at him with machete
Man attacked refuse worker with screwdriver and then tried to stab police officer with two-and-half-foot machete.
A thug stabbed a refuse worker with a screwdriver moments before he hopped onto a motorbike and drove at a police officer with a machete, attempting to slash at him.
Stephen Morris was already on a suspended sentence after he tried to attack police officers with an axe last year.
He was jailed for almost three years at Leeds Crown Court this week after admitting a raft of new offences.
Prosecutor Clara Brown said bin workers had been collecting Railway Street, near to the Phoenix complex, at around 7.30am on April 1, when one noticed Morris mumbling and walking towards them with a screwdriver in his hand.
He then pointed it at the worried worker, who lashed out at Morris, punching him, fearing what was about to happen.
But it failed to deter him and Morris lunged at the man. They both ended up on the floor where Morris stabbed him with the screwdriver to the stomach.
Morris then got onto the motorbike and left the scene. After the police arrived, Morris then returned.
A special constable pulled out an extendable baton, and Morris produced the huge machete.
He then began riding the bike towards the officer at speed with the machete above his head, swiping at him and missing.
Morris was Tasered and brought under control, but following his arrest he refused to be interviewed or provide a sample for analysis.
Morris, of William Street, Churwell, Morley, later admitted ABH, having a bladed article in public, affray, making threats with a bladed article, failing to co-operate for a drugs test, driving while disqualified and breach of a suspended sentence.
He had received a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, in September last year after swinging an axe at police officers who caught him breaking into a van.
He appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, where he had been held on remand.
Mitigating, Martin Morrow said Morris was “entirely realistic” about the outcome - that he was facing prison.
He said Morris’ memory of that day was “limited” due to his use of alcohol and drugs.
He added: “He is truly sorry for his behaviour. He has to sort out his position with alcohol. The penny has finally dropped.”
Judge Tahir Khan KC activated seven months of his previous suspended sentence, to run concurrently with a new 34-month immediate sentence.