Isle of Wight man had armed police siege his home

Jamie Lee, of Avenue Road, Sandown, appeared before a judge at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Thursday.

At a previous hearing in May, the 31-year-old admitted affray, and damage to a property, in Sandown, on April 21, 2021.

Prosecutor, Shona Probert, told the court the charges related to a domestic incident.

• Read more: Multiple emergency services at incident in Sandown

At around 2.40pm, she said a witness with a child recalled seeing a female in distress in the street.

Armed police heading toward the property in Sandown. (Image: County Press)

The court heard Lee was the source of the distress, and proceeded to shout and threaten the victim, before going on to direct threats at the witness.

He threatened to ‘smash her head in’ and the police were called.

Some time later, officers attended Lee’s home address, in what was described as something of a ‘siege’.

Lee refused to leave and was confrontational, leaning out of a window, holding kitchen knives and making threats.

Armed police at the scene in Sandown. (Image: County Press)

“I’m going to burn your whole family,” said Lee at the scene.

The court heard he threw objects out of the window and lauded his own marksmanship after striking the windscreen of a police van, remarking “what a shot”.

He was also said to have been holding a syringe, containing red liquid, and threatening to infect anyone who approached him with Hepatitis B.

Ms Probert said Lee had 39 previous convictions for 70 offences, and a history of violence, criminal damage, and acts of dishonesty.

Lee declined to comment in police interview, and the offences were committed while he was the subject of a community order.

Michael McGoldrick, defending, said Lee made considerable progress toward getting clean of drugs while on remand in prison, and asked for an opportunity for him to continue that good work.

He said Lee expressed clear remorse and shame and had been in a haze of drugs at the time of the offences.

The scene in Sandown. (Image: County Press)

The court heard Lee wanted the ‘carrot on the stick approach’, and unusually asked for an opportunity to do unpaid work – to give him a purpose.

Mr McGoldrick said he was ripe to be rehabilitated, had plans to secure employment, and his priority was to remain drug free.

Lee’s sentence was deferred to December 13.

He must not commit any further offences, must provide evidence of positive engagement with Inclusion, must provide evidence of positive efforts to obtain work, and must provide evidence of saving money to pay police officers compensation.

“You do all of those things satisfactorily, and I will suspend your sentence in December,” said Recorder Daniel Sawyer.