A dramatic hours-long stand-off between a man and armed police in Caldicot came to an unusual end when officers agreed to fetch him a can of Stella Artois.
Nathan Leatherland, 33, sparked the incident at his Denny View address on April 10 after police were called to a disturbance. His brother warned officers the situation was “likely to escalate”.
From an upstairs window, Leatherland shouted: “How about you f*** off” at police, before escalating his threats: “Get in here and I’ll cause you problems you little piggy c***s.” He threw a tin of paint from the window and warned: “If you come near me, I’ll slit your throat.”
Firearms officers were deployed amid concerns he was armed. Leatherland had barricaded the door, thrown paint down the stairs, and ripped a radiator off the wall, causing £2,000 of damage to the council property.
After negotiations, he agreed to surrender – but only if officers left a can of Stella on his doorstep. Police obliged, returning from the shop with the beer before gaining entry. Leatherland was then Tasered and arrested.
The court heard the 33-year-old had seven convictions for 15 offences, including an “almost identical” affray incident in January for which he was on licence.
His defence lawyer Kevin Seal said: “The defendant has indicated remorse by his guilty plea. It is unfortunate that the defendant clearly has some mental health difficulties.”
Seal added that when “the red mist comes down” Leatherland loses control, but said he was “seeking help with those mental health issues” and responding well to probation services.
Judge Carl Harrison sentenced Leatherland to eight months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to affray and criminal damage.
