Leeds thug chased ex's new boyfriend with hammer and knife during early-morning street confrontation
He was out of prison on licence at the time
A thug who chased his former partner’s new boyfriend along the street with a hammer and knife has been returned to prison.
Shane Higgins, who was previously jailed for ABH, then attacked two female officers who arrived to arrest him and later failed to show for his trial.
The 41-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court today over a video link from HMP Leeds, having been recalled to prison for his previous crimes.
The court heard that police were called at around 5.40am to the Gamble Hill area of Leeds following reports of a disturbance.
Footage played to the court showed Higgins brandishing a hammer and a knife, chasing a male around parked cars, swinging at him.
When the police arrived a short time later, he had thrown the weapons away but he was quickly arrested.
He was aggressive and refused to go quietly, kicking one female officer to the face, and when they tried to put him in leg restraints, he kicked out and caught another on the shoulder. He was wearing steel-toe-capped boots at the time.
They used PAVA spray to quell him.
Higgins was later interviewed and admitted presence, but said he was fearing for his own safety.
Having denied the charges and failing to turn up for his trial, he was found guilty in his absence of possession of a bladed article and offensive weapon in public, affray, resisting arrest and two counts of assaulting emergency workers.
He later admitted failing to surrender to custody when he was finally re-arrested.
Higgins, formerly of School Lane, Horbury, Wakefield, but now of no fixed address, has 25 previous convictions for 55 offences, including assaults on emergency workers. He was last jailed in June 2023 for violence and witness intimidation.
Mitigating for his latest offences, Anastasis Tasou said Higgins had been called by his ex to meet that morning to discuss family matters.
He said Higgins was then “met with aggression” on his arrival.
He said of Higgins’ reaction: “He accepts he went far beyond what would have been necessary.”
But he added: “This was a display of aggressions rather than a concerted effort to do harm.”
He said that Higgins was working to turn his life around, had started up his own groundworking business and has a new partner who was expecting their child.
He acknowledged that Higgins “had problems controlling his emotions and temper”.
The judge, Recorder Helen Chapman, described it as “thuggish behaviour” and pointed to his lengthy criminal record, particularly his attacks on police officers.
She jailed him for 18 months.