Preston yob jailed for three years after taser threat to policeman

A yob in a balaclava who snatched a policeman's taser and threatened to shoot him in the face with it has been jailed by a judge in Preston.

The city's Crown Court heard Callum McAllister ripped the gun from its holster as he grappled with the officer on the banks of the River Ribble.

The 29-year-old, who was wanted on recall to prison, then pointed it at him at close range and warned: "I'll taser you."

Judge Paul Hodgkinson jailed McAllister for more than three years after hearing the officer had been trying to prevent him falling into the river as he tried to escape following a chase.

He told him: "Police have a rightful expectation to feel protected by these courts. Pointing a taser at point blank range in an officer's face does cause a high risk of severe physical injury."

Barrister Rachel Woods, prosecuting, said the officer in a patrol car spotted McAllister riding a bike in a known drugs hot spot near Fishwick Bottoms in Preston and told him to stop.

Despite wearing a balaclava he recognised him from previous encounters and knew he was wanted on recall to prison to complete a 14-month sentence for firearms offences.

But McAllister raced off and a pursuit began. Eventually the officer caught up with him and used his car to knock him from his bike.

When he told him "You're Callum McCallister. You're wanted on recall," he replied: "I'm not, and it's not Callum." He then escaped on foot. The officer shouted: "Stay where you are, I'm carrying a taser."

The chase continued onto the muddy riverbank where there was a tussle.

Ms Woods said the officer was afraid McAllister would fall into the river and so took hold of him to try and pull him away from the slippery embankment. But instead McAllister was pulling the policeman dangerously towards the edge shouting: "It's not Callum. Get off me you dick."

Judge Hodgkinson said: "It was a very dangerous situation. The officer was trying to stop him falling into the river and this defendant was trying to go into the river and take the officer with him."

Ms Woods added that as the tug-of-war went on McAllister grabbed the officer's taser from its holster. He pointed it straight at the officer's head from close range with both hands on the firearm and barked: "Don't. I will taser you."

That caused the policeman to feel "extremely fearful". And due to the aggression being shown he "genuinely believed he was going to discharge it".

"He was stuck in mud on the embankment with the defendant pointing the taser towards him."

Ms Woods explained that the weapon was live and functioning, although the safety catch was on. But it would have been "very easy" for McAllister to have discharged it.

When arrested he was found to have a quantity of cannabis in his pockets, although he claimed it wasn't his and he must have picked it up by mistake.

Defence barrister Callum Stevens argued that because the weapon was only a taser – and it was in safety mode – the offence was not as serious as it would have been had it been a traditional firearm.

He told the judge: "This is a defendant who has had a rather difficult upbringing." He said he had fallen into criminal behaviour at a young age and had been in and out of the care system. McAllister, he said, was also suffering from mental health issues.

He accepted that he tried to flee from the officer and, in his attempt to escape, he was wrong doing what he did. But he had "simply panicked" at that moment.

Judge Hodgkinson said McAllister's criminal record, which included 91 previous offences, was "one of the worst" he had ever seen for a person of his age.

"You had ample opportunity to comply with the officer's request to stop. But you chose to ignore him and make your escape."

He said he had previous convictions on his record for resisting arrest and escaping from custody. And this latest bid to evade arrest had come because he was wanted on recall to prison to complete a sentence for carrying weapons.

Judge Hodgkinson said he had viewed body-worn camera footage of the chase and scuffle but declined to play in open court.

"Your actions placed that officer in harm's way. You placed yourself in harm's way and put both of you in danger.

"Police undertaking their duty have the right to be protected by these courts and have the right not to be put in harm's way and in danger the way you did on this day.

"The device was in safety mode, but you weren't to know that. And it was a taser not a traditional firearm. I take those matters into account."

The judge sentenced McAllister, of Bolton Road, Abbey Village near Chorley, to a total of 40 months and ordered the forfeiture of the cannabis seized at his arrest.