Man banned from LANCASHIRE after threatening to torch flat in Morecambe and kill police officer

A court in Preston heard knife-wielding Shaun Smith also warned he would burn down the block of flats where he lived following a dispute with his landlord.

The 29-year-old appeared before a judge at the city’s Crown Court for sentence after it was said trained negotiators had to be called in to try and end a tense stand-off with police which went on for several hours.

A cordon had to be introduced around scene to keep the public safe. Eventually he surrendered, but he carried on an angry tirade of abuse directed at officers in the local police station.

Judge Graham Knowles KC had intended to pass sentence for Smith’s behaviour during the incident in Morecambe. He admitted making threats to kill a police officer, criminal damage and making racially aggravated threats.

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But after hearing he is also due to appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentence in a few days’ time for assaulting a police officer he adjourned the case so all the matters can be dealt with at the same time in Yorkshire.

Smith was allowed bail, although he must reside over the border in Skipton and not enter the county of Lancashire except to attend a court building or police station. He has also been barred from approaching any of the witnesses involved in the case.

Barrister Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, told Judge Knowles that police had been called to an incident at a building in Morecambe where Smith rented a flat.

The landlord had been fixing a fire alarm in an adjacent flat along with a member of the fire service when Smith came out of his apartment and asked the man to check his.

He told the men he was going out, but then threatened to “burn the building down.” He was abusive to the men and so the police were called due to his threats.

Smith was inside his flat when an officer arrived. He asked him to open the door and he refused. When he was told police wanted to enter the flat he responded: “See what happens if you do.”

He warned he would stab the officer, who then backed off to prevent escalating the incident. Smith then started throwing furniture out of the flat and hurling objects at the police.

As more police arrived Smith barricaded himself inside the flat and was seen through a window holding a knife. Crowds of people started gathering outside to watch what has going on.

A drone was sent up by police to monitor the situation from on high. Firefighters were called in just in case he carried out his threat to set fire to the building.

Negotiators arrived and began several hours of discussions with Smith aimed at getting him to come out peacefully. He recognised one officer who was eventually able to talk him out.

At the police station Smith threatened to kill one of the officers in the custody suite. He continued to be abusive and warned that if any officer came into his cell he would “bite their nose off, smash them and kill them.”

He also threatened to kill his landlord and a woman – sliding his hand across his throat - and repeated his threat to burn the flats down, saying: “Just you watch.”

Smith was then said to have shouted: “I’m not going to do my fingerprints. It will need all the officers in this place to do it.” He also shouted racial insults at one of the officers.

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He refused to be interviewed and continued his aggressive behaviour in the interview room.

The court was told that Smith had no previous convictions, although he had received two cautions for assaulting an emergency worker and possessing an offensive weapon in 2022.

Clare Ashcroft, for Smith, said that her client is due to be sentenced on August 23 in Yorkshire for assaulting a police officer.

Judge Knowles told the court: “It seems to me that these two cases should have been dealt with together. I am not in a position to do more today. The sensible thing is for this case to be transferred to Leeds so it can be dealt with on the same date.”

He ruled that until then Smith could have bail on the same conditions set at a previous court appearance. He must not enter Lancashire except to attend court or a police station and must reside in Skipton.

Turning to Smith he told him: “I can’t sentence you today because this case and the case in Leeds really need to be sentenced by the same judge and at the same time so you get one sentence that takes everything into account.”

He also set aside a date in October at Preston Crown Court if, for whatever reason, the case could not be sentenced in Yorkshire.