Man jailed for drug-fuelled rampage (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man jailed for drug-fuelled rampage

4:01pm Monday 28th July 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A painter and decorator who went on an amphetamine fuelled rampage for a second time has been jailed for 20 months.

Jonathan Hughes was on a suspended sentence for a similar incident when he lost control in a bout of paranoia.

The 32-year-old armed himself with a knife and a claw hammer before smashing windows a terrifying his girlfriend.

He then clambered out of a window in the town centre house and ran at police called to calm him down while still armed with the blade.

And the incident came less than a year after he was put on a suspended sentence for a similar drug induced rage at a hotel where he had been working.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how Hughes had been at home with his girlfriend before the incident started on the night of Wednesday May 21.

She said he had been consuming a cocktail of drugs and was paranoid and agitated jumping up saying someone was trying to get into the flat.

His girlfriend did her best to calm him down but he was convinced someone was trying to get in and during the early hours woke her up.

She told police he was holding a knife and claw hammer and smashed the bedroom window with the tool.

He then called a friend to say there were people in the house and asked them to call the police, but phoned back soon after to tell them not to.

His girlfriend managed to get outside and approached two passing police officers who were passing and asked them to help.

But when they went to the house Hughes refused to believe they were real officers despite them being in full uniform.

He continued to smash windows and managed to get out of one and ran along Crombey Street still holding the knife pointing it towards one of the officers.

Despite being told to drop it he continued to run towards them before throwing the knife down and being restrained with the help of pepper spray.

He later told officers he had been taking drugs for a week and not slept during that period.

Hughes, of Morse Street, Swindon, admitted affray and criminal damage.

In June last year he was put on a 50 week sentence suspended for 18 months after a similar incident at a hotel in Alexandra Park, Wroughton.

Andrew Hobson, defending, said his client, who was clearly out of his mind at the time and felt the need to escape the flat, did not threaten the police with the knife.

He said painter and decorator Hughes was a man with a good work ethic when he was not taking drugs.

Jailing him Judge Douglas Field said "This was a serious incident wasn't it. It was in the presence of this lady and these two police officers had to confront you.

"You first of all had a hammer smashing windows with that. You also had knife. You said in interview you would not harm them. You were completely out of control. That makes it very serious indeed."