Siege man told police 'I want to die'

Officers feared that Wilf Barlow would injure someone or worse during the five-hour stand-off at his Chapelfields home last January, the jury at York Crown Court heard.

PC Martin Snell alleged that the 37-year-old man called down to him: "I want to die. I will kill the first person that comes through this door."

At the time, Barlow was waving a six-inch knife.

He and other police officers claimed they heard a gunshot inside the block of flats in Bramham Avenue and evacuated it.

Armed response officer Stephen Mullins alleged: "We were concerned he was looking for a 'death by police', by coming out and goading us.

"I thought he was capable of causing somebody serious harm or worse."

Barlow's mood swung from calm to agitated.

Barlow denies affray on January 7.

Opening the prosecution, Khalid Al'Hassan said an ambulance crew went to Barlow's flat on receiving a call that he had drunk a lot of alcohol, taken tablets and was suicidal.

There, he was so agitated, they called police.

"He was in an aggravated state and when police officers arrived he started swearing and becoming aggressive," said the barrister.

Barlow initially agreed to go to hospital, but as officers and the crew left, he slammed and locked the door.

Mr Hassan added: "As police returned, the defendant smashed the window of the door that leads into his property. He had a knife and told the officers he wanted to die.

"The officers suspected he may have had a firearm and called for the armed response team."

The jury heard that police dog handlers were called to the scene and after Barlow agreed to give himself up, a woman police officer arrested him.

He later told police he could not remember anything about the incident because he had drunk beer, brandy and whisky and taken a number of tablets, but did not know what they were.

Asked if he had threatened police he said: "I hate police".

The trial continues.

Updated: 08:10 Thursday, September 27, 2001