'I'm willing to die' - Gunman jailed over 24-hour police siege at Leeds caravan park

Armed officers and a negotiator were called to St Helena’s Caravan Park in Horsforth and the site had to be evacuated after 56-year-old Donal Cantrell claimed he would detonate explosives if officers tried to enter the caravan where he lived, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Armed with a Birmingham small arms rifle and an “array of weapons”, he was eventually talked into surrendering a day later.

Cantrell, who was convicted of a similar offence in the early 1990s, was jailed for an extended period of 10 years and eight months today after it was deemed he was a danger to the public.

Prosecuting, David Bradshaw said he event was triggered by the police attending his caravan in the early hours of March 2 for an unrelated matter.

Officers suspected he was under the influence and he refused to step outside.

He then struggled with the officers before being handcuffed. He was found to have a knife and a knuckleduster in his pocket.

The next day he sent text message to his ex partner, who also lives on the site, accusing her of “grassing him up” to police.

He then made the chilling threat: “I’m coming for you. You are getting a bullet in your head.”

The police visited again the following day at 2pm, but he told them he would not come out of his caravan before they noticed he was holding the firearm.

An armed unit and negotiator were called to the Old Otley Road site.

Mr Bradshaw said: “It went on for many hours with the defendant saying he was willing to die that day.”

It was not until 4.30pm the following day that he gave himself up.

In the caravan they found ammunition, a second rifle, hunting knives and a meat cleaver.

During his interview with police, he gave a no-comment replies, but did claim he had a psychotic episode and could not remember what had happened.

He also confessed there were no explosives set up in the caravan.

He admitted two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, making a threat to kill, possessing a firearm to cause a fear of violence, possessing a firearm without a licence, and possession of ammunition with authority.

The court was told that Cantrell had been in trouble 30 years ago which involved a police siege, making threats to kill and having a firearm.

Mitigating, Craig McGregor said Cantrell has suffered mental health issue for years and a psychiatrist diagnosed him with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Mr McGregor said: “The defendant was effectively in crisis at the time, partly through his own use of drunk and drugs, but the main factor was his PTSD that had been eating away at him and getting worse.”

Judge Simon Phillips QC told Cantrell: “Despite being given many opportunities, you refused to co-operate with police in many hours of this siege, some 24 hours.

"You said you were willing to die in that caravan.”

He told Cantrell, who has been on remand in HMP Leeds since his arrest, that he would have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole.