A MAN who armed himself with 13 kitchen knives before driving almost 25 miles in a rage threatening to kill his boss has been jailed for two years.

Gary Darwen, 44, was intercepted by police on the M55, before he was able to confront his then-manager, Antonio ‘Tony’ Monteiro, after blaming him for being dismissed from work.

The pair had worked together at InBev’s Samlesbury site, until Darwen was suspended in February 2011 by his subcontracting employer.

During his suspension, Darwen, of Avroe Heights, Blackpool, started to develop an unhealthy hatred for his boss and started blaming him for his problems at work, Preston Crown Court heard.

Then in September, Darwen’s wife Cheryl contacted police to say she was concerned her husband was on the way to attack his boss.

She told officers a block of 13 knives was missing from their kitchen.

Lancashire police launched a major search for Darwen and found him travelling on the M6 in the general direction of Mr Monterio’s workplace, in Cuerdale Lane, Samlesbury.

After a brief pursuit on the motorway, in which officers described his driving as ‘erratic’, he was pulled over near junction three of the M65, at Blackburn West.

Darwen, who was subcontracted to work at InBev by Neales Waste Management, was arrested shortly before 4.30pm on September 9.

He immediately told officers, he had ‘intended to kill’ Mr Monteiro, the court was told.

Darwen was sentenced to two years in prison at Preston Crown Court, after pleading guilty to making threats to kill.

He was also handed 12 months imprisonment to run concurrently for possessing an offensive weapon.

A further two counts of threatening to kill were ordered to be laid on his file.

Darwen was made the subject of a restraining order, preventing him contacting Mr Monterio.

DC Sue Smith, from Blackburn CID, she said: “Gary Darwen became obsessed with a consuming hatred towards his manager following his dismissal from work.

“He was suffering from physical and mental health issues which may have contributed towards his harbouring intentions to kill his manager, with 13 knives.

“It is most fortunate that on the day of the incident his wife contacted the police to alert them in relation to these matters and that the police were able to effectively intervene and prevent Darwen carrying out his threats.

“At the time of the incident, Darwen was considered to be a dangerous and unpredictable man. The term of imprisonment reflects the serious nature of these offences, hopefully imprisonment will address his anger issues.

“This must have been a very stressful and concerning time for Mr Monteiro.”