Butane gas addict from Bootle threatened police with a makeshift flamethrower
Jim Evans pointed a gas canister at officers, while also holding a lighter
A man who threatened to set police officers on fire with a makeshift flamethrower in Southport has been jailed.
Jim Evans, who has previously made bomb hoax calls, shouted through the locked door “you can’t taser me, I’ve got gas with me.”
He repeatedly refused requests by the police, who had been called by staff at the Albert and Victoria Hotel in Southport, to open up and so the two officers warned him they were going to force the door.
“He was stood behind it and had a gas butane canister in one hand, with the nozzle pointed towards them, and a lighter in the other hand,” said Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting.
“They both feared he was going to ignite it and told him not to point it at them and one grabbed his arm. He struggled refusing to let go of the items and both officers struggled with him and managed to take him to the ground.
He eventually he let go of the items and made a grab for one of the officer’s baton but they managed to get it back off him.
They succeeded in handcuffing him and after taking him to hospital for a check up took him to a police station. In the hotel room they found a total of 23 butane gas canisters, to which Evans is addicted, and empty cans of beer.
When interviewed he said he had asked the hotel staff to give him half an hour to sort out his things but they called the police.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he had pre-paid for two nights stay and when he wanted to stay a third night he was asked for pre-payment but he would not open the door.
In a victim impact statement one of the police officers said:
“When I saw the flamethrower I was shocked and thought it was going to be used.”
He said they saw Evans’ angry face and they were frightened they would suffer injuries to their face and eyes if he ignited the ban.
24-year-old Evans, of St Catherine’s Road, Bootle, pleaded guilty to affray.
His previous convictions include making a bomb hoax call to Sefton Borough Council in January 2020, which led to 800 workers being evacuated. He was jailed for 16 months.
Charles Lander, defending, today that Evans has various difficulties and would be helped with assistance rather than being jailed for the offence which happened in January last year.
He pointed out that “ironically the person who ended up with the most injuries was the defendant. It was a short lived incident and the officers’ fear was short lived.”
Sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment District Judge Richard Clews told him, “It may be correct that only you were injured but that is your own fault in not complying with the police.”
He said that it turned out that the canister he had been holding was not capable of projecting or spraying the officers “but that is scant consolation to the police who did not know that.
“They were quite clearly very concerned for their safety and with good reason. You still did not co-operate and had to be taken to the ground and even then you grabbed for a baton before you could be handcuffed.”
The judge added that the public were entitled to expect that those who behave in such a manner are punished and there is a deterrent element in sentencing.