Fed-up Wakefield resident jailed for pulling Stanley knife on 'drug dealer'
A resident has been jailed after pulling a knife on what he claims was a dealer selling drugs outside of his home.
Ryan Bartholomew was handed a mandatory jail sentence after approaching the man and making threats with the Stanley knife.
The 30-year-old said he had become fed-up of the man whom he claimed was regularly parked up outside of his home and selling drugs.
Mitigating at Leeds Crown Court, Anastasis Tasou said Bartholomew said there were fights, windows being put through and even a car set alight because of the dealing taking place.
He said that the man had been previously approached by Bartholomew “in an amicable way” and had asked him to stop.
But on September 5 last year, Bartholomew received a phone call from his partner telling him that the man was back outside again selling drugs.
Street-CCTV footage captured the man in his car on Painthorpe Lane, Wakefield, talking to people through the window of his car at around 1pm.
A Nissan Qashqai then pulled up with Bartholomew in the passenger seat. He was then seen to aggressively march across the street and lean in through the open passenger-side window.
Brandishing the Stanley knife he was heard to shout: “Come on then.”
He then attempted to walk around the driver’s side but the man was able to drive off, with Bartholomew seen to punch the back passenger-side window.
Bartholomew was arrested and gave a no-comment interview. He later admitted making threats with a bladed article. A charge of affray was not pursued by the Crown.
Bartholomew, of Northfield Terrace, Church Fenton, has six previous convictions for seven offences, but Mr Tasou said it was not in Bartholomew’s nature to be violent.
He added: “The red mist descended, he was enraged at the time of the offence.”
He pointed out that the incident was short lived and that Bartholomew had even apologised to those standing by who witnessed the incident.
Judge Neil Clark said he had to be jailed, and gave him the mandatory six-month sentence.