Criminal brandished baton at police - but backed down when one officer drew his own

A violent criminal who brandished a police-style extendable baton at two beat officers lost his nerve when one of them drew a real baton.

The Cleveland Police constable, who had been trained by combat experts, told Nathan Young, 23, that he was not going to back down.

Young, from Stockton, ran away dropping the weapon and he was caught after a chase on foot.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh told Teesside Crown Court that Young, who had 64 convictions for more than 100 offences, said that he did not know why he had been arrested.

She added: “He said how could they be illegal if the police used them.

“He said that he had waved it around in a threatening manner intending that the officer would be frightened.”

Miss Haigh said that the officers had been approached by a member of the public at 1.15am on May 26 saying that he had seen two men in Derwent Street, Norton, and one of them was carrying a police-style baton.

Young ran off but he turned towards them and he wacked out a two-foot long baton in his right hand.

The officer nearest to him thought that he was going to be struck and he wacked out his own baton.

And on being told that the officer was not going to back down Young ran off dropping his baton.

Judge Howard Crowson said: “I take the view that an extendable baton cannot be in legal possession except in the hands of the police, and he used it to threaten them.”

Miss Haigh said that Young’s 105 previous offences included robbery, harassment, drugs and criminal damage, and the latest in June this year was for possession of a knife.

Police had received a report at 3.30am that Young had left his home with a three-inch knife,and they found him nearby in an agitated state. He was wearing an electronic tag which showed he was in breach of a house curfew.

Malcolm Styles,defending, said that it was hugely distorted thinking by Young, who had taken drugs.

He said: “The reality is that he needs to sort himself out from the drug problem that he has. He seems to labour under the disillusion when he is under the influence of drugs that he needs to protect himself.

“He did have the good sense to drop the baton when he was ordered by the officer. I would ask the court to bear in mind the background and the difficulties that this young man has.”

Judge Crowson told Young: “When the police challenged you, you saw no wrong in it, but there is wrong in it.

“These things can do great damage when in the wrong hands, and the police have training in the use of them.

“Apparently you do not see the harm that you can cause. Your past background of causing actual harm to people is also an aggravating feature.

“The fact that you were stopped after this for carrying a knife is also disturbing.”

Young, of Hartington Road, central Stockton, was jailed for six months after he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the baton.