An offender who headbutted a police officer and smashed a van window with a metal pole during a "spree of offending" has been jailed.
Hayden Blades demanded money from a man in the presence of children, assaulted police officers and caused damage to a vehicle whilst brandishing a 5ft metal pole in July and August last year. The 26-year-old's spree ended when police went to his home to arrest him and he jumped out of a window before being pepper-sprayed.
Blades, of Penryn Avenue, Murton, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for threatening to damage property, affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon, damaging property, and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
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The court heard his offending began on July 16 last year when Blades went to a woman's home and began shouting about a family member and threatened to "smash the windows". Later that night, Blades approached a man who was leaving a shop with his daughter and niece.
Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said: "The defendant and two others approached the man. The defendant said, 'I'm going to give you one opportunity to go to the bank to get £50. If not I'm going to smash you all over.' The man stepped back as the children were present. His daughter was caught up between the two and knocked to the floor."
A woman who was with Blades at the time then "slapped" the man before Blades took the man's phone and demanded he make an online bank transfer - among other demands.
The court heard that the next day, on July 17, a man discovered his son's bike was missing and CCTV showed Blades - who was known to the man - had taken it. Mr Gittins said the man then went to a home where Blades was present and confronted him about it. It was then that Blades threatened to "stab" the man and "lunged" at him.
When the man returned to his van, Blades approached the vehicle holding a "5ft metal pole". Mr Gittins said: "The pole hit the window and smashed it, causing cuts to the man's face and causing £216 damage to the van."
On August 5, police attended Blades' address to arrest him, but he climbed out of a window and made off. During the foot chase, Blades "pushed" an officer before he was eventually apprehended and restrained. During the incident, Blades headbutted an officer before eventually being pepper-sprayed.
Paul Cross, defending, said: "At that particular time (of the offences), he had lost his grandmother and was something that was playing on his mind. He has ADHD which he's now getting help with and is improving his self-control. The affray was not a deliberate attack on the child and was reckless. The injured party did in fact owe him the money and he was trying to recover that."
Mr Cross added: "When he was arrested, half a dozen officers were sitting on him and he was screaming in pain." He said that Blades had completed various courses whilst in prison and has the possibility of being offered a job as a roofer upon his release.
Judge Jo Kidd said Blades carried out a "spree of offending" and jailed him for 24 months.
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