Furious Anthony Craig English stormed out of Lincoln’s
Jobcentre after his benefits were stopped and vowed: “I’m coming back with a
meat cleaver.”
Three hours later he did just that, causing 50 staff and customers at the Orchard Street office to flee as he walked towards them with a “hunting” knife and the bladed tool.
English, 38, forced his way in after pushing security guard Martin Berry with the hand in which he brandished the knife.
Mr Berry was left with a 5cm-long weal-type mark on his chest.
Seconds before, Mr Berry had seen English approach and open his coat to reveal the handles of two weapons in the waistband of his trousers.
After the assault, the guard was dragged back from the front door by colleagues, English walked in and staff attempted to block his way with a barricade of chairs.
As he spread panic throughout the building he was contained inside but managed to get upstairs where he was finally persuaded to drop his weapons by PC Luke Wells.
Jim Clare, prosecuting at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court, said: “CCTV of the Jobcentre shows about 50 people running away from the defendant.
“As he walked along the ground floor he carried a knife in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other.
“He then goes upstairs, through doors barricaded by chairs that security guards had put there.
“He walked after people that were running towards the barricaded doors, around the offices, until he was met by PC Wells.
“He attended the Jobcentre at 11am having spoken to a member of staff on the telephone.
“He seemed to have got somewhat angry and as he left he shouted: ‘I’m coming back with a meat cleaver.
“At about 2pm he does return and attends the Jobcentre with a meat cleaver and two knives.
“Security guards Martin Berry and Winston Whittingham were on the door.”
Mr Berry said in a statement read to the court: “He was directly facing me.
“I saw him pull open the left hand side of his jacket and two handles were sticking out the waistband of his trousers.
“He grabbed one of the handles, pulled out a knife, a hunting-style knife, not a knife you do DIY with, the blade of which was 6 to 8 inches long.
“He pulled it out and held the blade towards me.
“He hit me on the top of my chest.
“It was not a direct blow to the chest.”
Mr Berry, who recalled being dragged back by colleagues at this point, continued: “The whole time this man came walking towards us.
“I then shouted for colleagues and everybody to get out.
“We threw chairs in front of him to try to slow him down and bide us some time and we managed to keep him contained inside the building.
“I saw he then had a meat cleaver in his hands – he was stood there in front of us with it.
“During the incident I did not feel anything.
“I just had to do what I could to keep him away from everyone.
“I’m just so pleased no-one was really hurt.
“I also feel upset that this has happened.
“I genuinely believed that he wanted to hurt someone with his knife.”
Mr Whittingham said in his statement: “Throughout this the man was about a metre from us.”
In his police interview, English said he was angry that his Jobseekers’ Allowance and disability benefits had been stopped.
Mr Clare said: “He was not sure what his intention was when he went to the Jobcentre – he just wanted people to listen to him.
“He accepts he walked towards them with a weapon drawn and pushed the security guard with the hand that held the weapon.”
English, of Doughty’s Court, off Broadgate, Lincoln, admitted threatening people with a bladed article and assault by beating on November 27.
He was remanded in custody to appear at Lincoln Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
This is Lincolshire
Three hours later he did just that, causing 50 staff and customers at the Orchard Street office to flee as he walked towards them with a “hunting” knife and the bladed tool.
English, 38, forced his way in after pushing security guard Martin Berry with the hand in which he brandished the knife.
Mr Berry was left with a 5cm-long weal-type mark on his chest.
Seconds before, Mr Berry had seen English approach and open his coat to reveal the handles of two weapons in the waistband of his trousers.
After the assault, the guard was dragged back from the front door by colleagues, English walked in and staff attempted to block his way with a barricade of chairs.
As he spread panic throughout the building he was contained inside but managed to get upstairs where he was finally persuaded to drop his weapons by PC Luke Wells.
Jim Clare, prosecuting at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court, said: “CCTV of the Jobcentre shows about 50 people running away from the defendant.
“As he walked along the ground floor he carried a knife in one hand and a meat cleaver in the other.
“He then goes upstairs, through doors barricaded by chairs that security guards had put there.
“He walked after people that were running towards the barricaded doors, around the offices, until he was met by PC Wells.
“He attended the Jobcentre at 11am having spoken to a member of staff on the telephone.
“He seemed to have got somewhat angry and as he left he shouted: ‘I’m coming back with a meat cleaver.
“At about 2pm he does return and attends the Jobcentre with a meat cleaver and two knives.
“Security guards Martin Berry and Winston Whittingham were on the door.”
Mr Berry said in a statement read to the court: “He was directly facing me.
“I saw him pull open the left hand side of his jacket and two handles were sticking out the waistband of his trousers.
“He grabbed one of the handles, pulled out a knife, a hunting-style knife, not a knife you do DIY with, the blade of which was 6 to 8 inches long.
“He pulled it out and held the blade towards me.
“He hit me on the top of my chest.
“It was not a direct blow to the chest.”
Mr Berry, who recalled being dragged back by colleagues at this point, continued: “The whole time this man came walking towards us.
“I then shouted for colleagues and everybody to get out.
“We threw chairs in front of him to try to slow him down and bide us some time and we managed to keep him contained inside the building.
“I saw he then had a meat cleaver in his hands – he was stood there in front of us with it.
“During the incident I did not feel anything.
“I just had to do what I could to keep him away from everyone.
“I’m just so pleased no-one was really hurt.
“I also feel upset that this has happened.
“I genuinely believed that he wanted to hurt someone with his knife.”
Mr Whittingham said in his statement: “Throughout this the man was about a metre from us.”
In his police interview, English said he was angry that his Jobseekers’ Allowance and disability benefits had been stopped.
Mr Clare said: “He was not sure what his intention was when he went to the Jobcentre – he just wanted people to listen to him.
“He accepts he walked towards them with a weapon drawn and pushed the security guard with the hand that held the weapon.”
English, of Doughty’s Court, off Broadgate, Lincoln, admitted threatening people with a bladed article and assault by beating on November 27.
He was remanded in custody to appear at Lincoln Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
This is Lincolshire
