A man had drunk Antifreeze before stabbing a knife into a chair in a pub in Bradford city centre and threatening to kill members of staff.

Dev Sangha, a former transport depot manager, wanted the police to “shoot him down,” Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Sangha, 51, of Sunbridge Road, central Bradford, caused the trouble in The Turls Green Wetherspoon pub in Centenary Square on November 17 last year.

He was remanded in HMP Doncaster and pleaded guilty to affray, having a knife in a public place, assaulting a staff member at the pub by beating him, obstructing a police constable and assaulting a police officer acting as an emergency worker.

Prosecutor Emily Hassell said that staff were alerted to Sangha at 12.30pm because he had a knife in the bar and was stabbing it into a chair.

When told to hand it over, he said: “If you want the knife back ring the f***ing police.”

He then threatened to kill members of staff and stabbed the knife into a table.

The manager pushed him back into his seat and he pushed her back and lashed out and hit the male staff member on the side of the head.

The police arrived and Sangha struck out with his legs saying he would kill people.

He then banged his head on the floor in the custody suite at the police station. He said he had consumed Antifreeze two days earlier and he kicked a police officer in the back.

He was taken to hospital to be treated for Antifreeze poisoning.

Sangha had 18 previous convictions for 40 offences, including five offences of obstructing the police and 11 for offences against the person. His record also contained affray and possession of a bladed article.

Emily Jenkins said in mitigation that although Sangha had “an unattractive record” there were significant gaps in it.

He had serious mental health problems and was in desperate need of professional help.

He drank the Antifreeze because he wanted to die and he hoped that the police would shoot or taser him.

He had been in custody now for three months, the equivalent of serving a six month prison sentence.

Judge David Hatton QC said the “unusual circumstances” of the case enabled him to suspend the sentence.

If Sangha was locked up immediately, he would be out in a matter of weeks with no help in place to prevent him from offending again.

He was jailed for 37 weeks, suspended for two years, with 35 rehabilitation activity days. He must also attend the Resolve programme.