Sleeping man waved glass bottle at Leeds bar staff during doorway 'home' disagreement

Lee Stewart refused to leave the fire-exit door at Call Lane Social, on Call Lane, telling the staff it was his home.

The had tried to wake the 36-year-old at around 4.20am on April 9 as they were locking up at the end of the night, Leeds Crown Court heard.

But Stewart became aggressive with the bottle in his hand, telling staff: “I’m going to stab you. I will cut your neck.”

Waving the bottle around, he also punched a glass panel in the door in anger, smashing it. The police were called and they found him asleep a short time later. He was then abusive towards officers who woke him up.

While at the police station he repeatedly refused to be interviewed and told the officers to charge him.

Stood in the dock in the crown court, he was taken down into the holding cells halfway through his sentencing hearing after he tried to shout over the prosecutor.

He has 44 previous convictions for 95 offences, with 13 for public order incidents and three for possessing bladed articles. Held on remand since his arrest, he admitted two offences of making threats with an offensive weapon in public, one of affray and one of criminal damage.

The court heard that he was already subject to a criminal behaviour order (CBO) imposed to deter him from causing trouble in the city.

Mitigating, Matthew Stewart, said Stewart had been homeless for around three years. He added: “He wishes to spend some time in custody. He is constantly in breach of his CBO because of his begging at Leeds Railway Station.”

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He said that Stewart needed money because he had issues with alcohol and drugs.

Jailing him for 18 months, Judge Robin Mairs said of the threats to bar staff: “They are trying to earn a decent living and they do not have to put up with you being drunk and threatening serious violence towards them.

“A custodial sentence is not only inevitable, it might do you some good.”