Man jailed for threatening people with syringe
A MAN who threatened to stab someone with a syringe outside a Bristol hospital is one of the first people to be jailed under a new law.
Stephen Howe admitted the charge of threatening with a blade or pointed weapon in public. He committed the offence on December 9, just six days after the new law came into force.
-
Stephen Howe threatened to stab someone with a syringe
The 49-year-old, of no fixed address, was arrested after the incident outside the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
The alcoholic, who also has a history of drug problems, pleaded guilty to the offence before Bristol magistrates but was committed to the crown court for sentencing after the bench heard of his previous conviction for offensive weapons.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Jailing him for five months Judge Michael Roach told him: "You now know that sort of behaviour won't be tolerated.
"Having a needle in a public place is always going to bring you into conflict with the law and means that judges like me will send you to prison."
Robert Reid, prosecuting, said an aggravating feature of the offence was that it was outside the hospital on Upper Maudlin Street where the public and children were coming and going.
He said: "At 2.30pm security staff went to where the defendant was, in the ambulance bays. He was brandishing a syringe, saying 'I'm going to stab you with this needle.'
"The security officer was alarmed for the welfare of another male, as well as himself. He was afraid the aggression would be turned on him."
Mr Reid said the officer instructed intoxicated Howe to put the needle down and Howe complied, but continued using bad language and made threats to stab and kill. Police arrested him, he made no comment and the hospital disposed of the syringe.
Howe's 64 previous convictions included offences of violence and arson, said Mr Reid.
Robert Morgan-Jones, defending, said: "The offence came into force on December 3. Mr Howe is probably one of the first in the country to contravene it."
Mr Morgan-Jones conceded his client's intoxication at the time aggravated the offence.
He said: "He is 49 and he looks much older. He's clearly had quite a hard life."
The court heard Howe had problems possibly arising from drug misuse, which he wanted to get help for.
Afterwards, a spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service said that under the new law, Howe should have received a minimum of six months' jail and could have been given up to four years.
Comments
by Mikeydooley
Sunday, January 06 2013, 4:41AM
“I say fight fire with fire and threaten him with a bigger syringe”
by spyinthecamp
Thursday, January 03 2013, 5:46PM
“Whilst I agree this man does need help, you have to also ask the question does he want help?? He clearly has drink problems and crime problems that stem way back and I am sure at historic court apperences this has been offered. Also whatever your problems it does not excuse this type of behaviour in public full stop end of story.”
by BlueFace
Thursday, January 03 2013, 2:45PM
“Stephen Howe needs help and until he recieves it will probably continue in this destructive manner.People like him are in part a reflection of what has gone wrong in our society.
It is clear he needs help.”
by bokbok
Thursday, January 03 2013, 1:28PM
“Drug infested scumbag.”
by vrwrtuy
Thursday, January 03 2013, 12:24PM
“64 previous convictions. Can't quite get my head around that. I guess remorse is less likely than reoffending”
by welliedog2
Thursday, January 03 2013, 11:17AM
“Sort of a destitute Shane Warne lookalike with that cricket jumper and hairstyle.
If Shane had not pulled Liz Hurley, who knows, he might have ended up looking exactly like this...”
by Magistrate
Thursday, January 03 2013, 10:34AM
“I think it is a worry that magistrates have the power to jail this man for 6 months anyway. They clearly sent him to the crown court for a judge to sentence him as they felt this offence was so serious that it needed longer than 6 months in jail.
It can be argued therefore that it is a shame the judge did not follow the hint - and only gave him 5 months.”
by ashleyvale
Thursday, January 03 2013, 10:26AM
“Another portrait for the 'Gallery of Useless Tw*ts'”
by Pogo_T_Clown
Thursday, January 03 2013, 9:06AM
“Well, good for the judge. At least now he knows that threatening to stab someone won't be tolerated. I'm sure that grey area had always bothered him. Here's hoping the law soon clarifies its stance on arson and burglary, too.”