ARMED police were called to Ingleton after a man with ‘significant’ mental health issues threatened officers with a large kitchen knife, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

Police were first called to Burnmoor Crescent at 10.40pm on May 26 by a neighbour of Anthony Davidson who said he was being threatening, the court was told today (Friday).

When they arrived, Davidson, 58, was inside his house, drunk and angry. He was holding a kitchen knife with a 12in blade and shouted abuse and threats to the officers through an open window.

Armed officers were called, and Davidson, who continued to shout at the officers and was still holding the knife, was told to stay indoors and warned he could be Tasered if he came outside still holding the knife.

Davidson, who had a number of knives in his house, threw one at the window towards the officers, and at one point made gestures to slash his own throat, the court was told.

Officers were eventually able to engage with him, and he left the house and was arrested.

He later told officers he had been drinking with a neighbour and another person and had drunk about 12 cans during the afternoon. He said he had been desperate for help, realised it had been the wrong way to get it, was sorry and had no intention of carrying out his threats.

Davidson, who admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to three named officers, and others, had ‘slipped through the net’ after moving to Ingleton about a year ago, the court was told.

In mitigation, Siobhan White said Davidson had received no support for his ‘significant’ mental health issues and had called the police for help.

When that was unsuccessful, he thought telling them he had knives would get a response, she said.

She said it was difficult to understand how he had gone under the radar for so long, and described it as a ‘terribly worrying set of circumstances’.

Since it had happened, he had been receiving help in day to day living and was attending the alcohol recovery service, Horizons, and had cut down on his drinking.

Magistrates told Davidson they believed what he had done had been a ‘cry for help’.

He was given a 12 month conditional discharge, but warned if he committed an offence in the next year, the court could look again at the incident, along with any new offence.

He will have to pay a surcharge of £22 and costs of £85.