Raging drunk threw knives at police and shrugged off being Tasered in terrifying late night rampage

Thug Lewis McClarence, who left one officer needing surgery, was in such a state that Tasers fired at him had no effect after he flew into a rage at the house in Carisbrooke Drive, Astley Bridge.

The 28-year-old jumped up and down on his ex-partner’s £13,000 Mercedes causing so much damage it had to be written off.

Inside the house he caused around £16,000 of damage, including smashing windows and TVs.

When police arrived at the scene and tried to calm him down he threw knives, glasses and a vase at them as they fired Tasters in the terrifying late night ordeal, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Alison Mather, prosecuting, told the court the altercation unfolded in the early hours of the morning on January 10 when he went back to his ex partner’s house after drinking.

She made him up a bed on the sofa but Miss Mather said McClarence then decided to call for a taxi and became agitated and abusive.

But the time the taxi arrived he was in such a rage outside that the driver turned around and left. “At this point the defendant seemed to completely lose his temper and jumped up and down on the Mercedes parked in the driveway,” said Miss Mather.

McClarence’s former partner banged on a neighbour’s door for help and to phone the police.

McClarence went back inside the house, where his son was sleeping upstairs.

“Items were thrown and smashed, including TVs and at one stage he put his foot through a plate glass window,” said Miss Mather.

“The carnage inside the house is estimated at £16,000.”

Police, including PC Stephen Sneyd, arrived and found McClarence behaving aggressively.

“He [PC Sneyd] drew his Taser in an attempt to calm the situation down and make the defendant see sense,” she said.

But McClarence ran back into the house and continued smashing windows.

Police confronted McClarence on the stairs and the defendant told them: “You know I’ve got a kid up here don’t you? Do you really want to do this?”

When McClarence, who was holding knives, threw one at the officers, the Taser was fired at him. The Taser had absolutely no effect on the defendant, such was his rage,” said Miss Mather.

McClarence continued to throw a vase, which hit PC Snyed on the head, a glass and another knife at the officer.

“He tried to duck to evade the knife and it hit him on the side of the head,” said Miss Mather.

“If he had not reacted as he did it would have struck him in the face.”

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The officer needed hospital treatment and stitches to the one and a half inch head wound.

In a statement he said: “I feel very lucky to have walked away from this situation.”

McClarence was Tasered again before police retreated outside the house, only to see him at an upstairs window holding his son, who had woken. “He [McClarence] started to count down as if he was going to do something,” said Miss Mather, who added that police thought he might be going to drop the child from an upstairs window. But instead he came out of the house, still holding the child and brandishing a knife, striking out at vehicles with it.

McClarence then left the child on a neighbour’s doorstep and was arrested.

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McClarence, representing himself, appeared for sentencing via a prison video link.

He said: “I just want to apologise to everyone involved.

“I am not a violent person.”

He stressed, and Judge Graeme Smith accepted, that he had not dangled his son out of a window. McClarence added: “I was drunk and lost control. When sober I am the nicest person ever.”

Sentencing McClarence, of Tattersall Avenue, Johnson Fold, to two years and four months in prison, Judge Smith told him: “It is clear that alcohol was the trigger for this behaviour. You behaved in an extremely aggressive and threatening manner towards the police.”